Melody
by Minosuke Ichigo
Summary: Rabi is a Bookman. Tiki is a Noah. Mortal enemies until on fateful christmas eve where the wall between the two crumbles. How fragile is this tale of forbidden love during a war against the Earl? TikiRabi ON HOLD WITH INTENT TO CONTINUE
1. Chained

**Summery:** It's Christmas time, and even the Akuma seem to take a break for the holidays, as do the Clan of Noah and the Black Order. It's the time of year where smiles and good cheer make the rooms brighten and the laughter and songs make it warmer. But for a Bookman, none of this should matter.

Rabi has a hard time trying to suppress his feelings of joy, and this produces nothing but bitter thoughts. While seeking refuge in a small village, he meets with Tiki and something unexpected happens, showing the true power of the heart.

Rated PG for shounen-ai. The pairing should be obvious, but just in case, it's the first ever Tiki x Rabi! I love these two, so I figured I should give it a shot. I hope it's good!

**Melody**

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

Rabi hated Christmas.

He hated it more then Akuma, more then the Noah clan, and more then the Panda's bad attitude. The Exorcists were having a festive party in the Black Order, but the red haired Bookman-in-training wasn't able to bring himself to join in the festivities due to the strictness of his training. The training was killing his heart, but then again, what use did a Bookman have for such a thing?

So, to keep himself sane, the usual-socialite found himself sitting in the darkest corner of a small café in a nearby village, staring out the window and watching the snowfall. His cup of hot cocoa had long since gone cold and remained untouched, just as the piece of cake had, but he didn't really pay much attention, lost in thought. So, it wasn't very surprising when someone took the seat across from him and he didn't even notice until the person spoke in a playful tone.

"Did your cat die?"

Rabi blinked and looked at the speaker and opened his mouth to growl something snotty at the one who had interrupted his very important thoughts, but every word he had vanished the second his eye met the speaker. Tiki Mick smiled at him and tipped his top-hat a bit in greeting, his smile never fading and dark eyes burning into Rabi's one green one. The Exorcist pushed away from the table and stood, reaching for his hammer, but paused when the Noah held up his hands.

"Ano…" he grinned. "I have no intention of harming you, Bunny-chan." Rabi's eye twitched, and he was tempted to attack the Noah for even calling him that. The man pointed at the other humans in the room and winked at him. "If you pull out that weapon, some innocent bystander may get hurt, and you wouldn't want that, Bunny-chan." The teen let out a low growl in response, realizing reluctantly that Tiki was correct. "Now, sit down."

"What do you want?" Rabi asked, refusing to follow a Noah's order. Tiki blinked at him with a look of innocent confusion on his face. The exorcist scowled. "Don't look at me like that, you bastard. Just tell me what you want already so I can leave!"

The Noah's expression of innocence was replaced by a coy smile as he rested his elbows on the table and laced his fingers together. "I merely came to have some cocoa. That's all, Bunny-chan."

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!!" Rabi snapped, ready to attack the man if he called him that horribly familiar name one more time. Tiki laughed lightly at the boy's outburst, earning him a dark glare. "What's so funny?" This only made the man laugh harder, and for a moment, Rabi was beginning to wonder how someone that easy to amuse was a member of the Noah family. Memories of what the man had done to Allen put him on edge once more.

After a moment more, Tiki calmed, taking off his hat and setting it beside him on the table, running a gloved hand through his ebony hair. He smiled sweetly at the Exorcist and motioned once more for him to sit. Slowly, Rabi complied silently, keeping one hand on his hammer as he watched his enemy carefully. "You're so tense, Bunny-chan…" Rabi's eye twitched. "It's Christmas, and even my family is relaxing!" The teen's look of distrust disappeared, replaced by one of confusion.

"What? You guys celebrate Christmas?" Tiki nodded. "…Huh?"

Tiki shook his head with a small sigh, resting his chin on his hands, watching the boy as he spoke. "We are the Clan of Noah, and Jesus was the son of the God we serve, so why should we not celebrate his birth?" Rabi nodded slowly. "Although Rhodes may only get coal in her multi-colored stockings if she keeps stealing Lord Millennium's things…" at the boy's confusion, he answered with a light chuckle. "She's a kleptomaniac to put it nicely. We like to call her a midget with busy hands."

The Noah smiled, his eyes never leaving Rabi's. "But, enough about me. Tell me, why are you so bent out of shape? You don't look like the type to think, so it must be important." Rabi glared at him once more and started to retort, pausing when Tiki laid a finger to the boy's lips, silencing him. "I've told you of me, so it's your turn. Equivalent exchange."

Rabi gave him a dirty look and silently threatened death upon the man who had dared to touch him, call him Bunny-chan and hurt his best friend. However, his problems hardly related to any deep secrets of the Black Order, so, against his better judgment, he blurted out his problem. "A Bookman can't care about other people!" He said, pushing the man's hand away from his mouth. "And we aren't allowed to dream, or fight, or even celebrate Christmas because of all the emotional crap that goes on!" At that, Tiki looked shocked.

"What?" He stared at the boy. "No Christmas?!"

"No Christmas. No friends. No romance. No dreams. No fighting. And no heart." At that, Rabi bowed his head, unsure if he should feel happy about letting his feelings out or uneasy because of who he let them out to. Tiki seemed to understand the boy's sadness and smiled in a way he had never smiled before.

Kindly.

"Ah. I see…" Tiki picked up his hat and placed it back on his head as he stood. "You poor kid." Rabi looked up at him sharply, eyes wide. "You're worse off then me. At least I can give myself what I want, but you're liked a caged dog. A pitiful pet." The teen winced, the words hitting true and hard, though the man had no intention of making his words hurtful. "But…perhaps I can help you."

Rabi gave him a suspicious look, standing and placing his hand on his weapon as he asked coldly, "What do you mean?"

Tiki smiled and spread his arms as if stating the obvious. "You seek what you can't have. I have what you want. I'll give you one moment of freedom if you give me something very small."

The Exorcist growled. "I'll never give anything to someone who works with—oomph!" he let out a muffled yelp when he was pressed against the wall by Tiki, the man's lips touching his own in a light kiss.

For a long while, Rabi couldn't seem to grasp what was happening, his eye wide and locked onto Tiki's dark eyes. _His eyes…_Rabi thought. _Are…dark brown…like chocolate…and so sad…_He winced when the man nipped his lips gently, and squeaked when he felt something wet slid into his mouth. _Gah! His…his tongue…!_ He grabbed his weapon's handle and started to swing it at the man, but his weak attack was stopped by Tiki's hand. The Anti-Akuma weapon fell from his fingers as the kiss was deepened and the man's hand slid into the boy's shaking one.

Eventually, Rabi surrendered, his eyes closing and body trembling from fear. What seemed to be a century passed in four minutes before the kiss was broken, Tiki slowly pulling his tongue from the younger boy's mouth. He nuzzled the teen's neck and sighed, letting go of his hand and stepping back a few steps, watching as the Exorcist touched his lips with quivering fingers.

Tiki tipped his hat a bit. "Payment received. And for that, I give you your freedom." He slid a hand into Rabi's coat pocket and withdrew it, empty. With one more sweet kiss, he bowed and left the café while whistling a Christmas carol.

Ten minutes passed, the boy not hearing the other people singing and talking, his brain working overtime to try and figure out what had just happened. Shaking his head, he touched his pocket and froze, realizing something was in the once-empty pocket. Quickly, he yanked out the object and stared at it with a look of pure confusion on his face, which was soon replaced by a very small smile.

_-Later-_

"Rabi-chan?" Allen looked at his friend. He had been searching the Black Order for his friend since the party in the cafeteria began, and he was perplexed when he saw the other Exorcist coming in from outside. Rabi grinned at Allen and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Where were you?" The white haired boy looked concerned. "I was really worried."

"Allen-chan, I'm a big boy." Rabi said, waving his companion's concern off and smiling. "Listen, I'll be right back. Meet me in the cafeteria, 'kay?" Allen nodded slowly, watching as the older Exorcist turned and ran toward the dorms.

"Rabi-kun seems happy." Rinalee said from behind Allen, the boy yelping and putting a hand to his chest as he looked at her in horror.

"Y-you nearly killed me!" He gasped, trying to calm his pounding heart. She giggled lightly at his expression and apologized. Muttering under his breath, he recovered and looked back down the now-empty hall. "And you're right.…I wonder what happened?"

_-Meanwhile-_

Rabi set something proudly on his bedside table and studied it for a moment before nodding and running from the room, ready to party the night away with his friends.

Sitting quietly on the table was a small oak box with a key in the back of it. The lid was open and in the middle of it, resting on a small mirror in the shape of a star, were two small figures, back to back and chains lying around them, broken. Hauntingly beautiful music drifted from it, and if you studied the figures closely, you could see that one of them had a top hat and the other an eye-patch, and both were smiling fondly.

Owari

**A/N –** Okay. The thing about the music box was inspired by, well, me. I love music boxes, and I love listening to their music. It's kind of like my own meditation thingy, but for Rabi it means something completely different. When Tiki said that he would give Rabi his freedom, he, of course, can't grant someone freedom physically, but the emotional chains holding Rabi back from being himself _could_ be broken.

Alright. It sounds like a bunch of crap, but it makes sense to some extent.

As for the two figures that mysteriously look like Rabi and Tiki, that's hinting at either one of the following:

A sequel.

Tiki's been in love with him since they met on the train.

Whichever it is, all will be revealed. If people give me good feedback, that is. So, until next time, have a merry Christmas, and may all of the dark emotional chains be broken.


	2. Reflection

**Summery:** Sequel to _Melody_. After Tiki parted ways with Rabi, he returned home only to find out that someone had seen his exchange with the Exorcist: Rhodes. She confronts him with it and poses a difficult question for him: "Us or him?"

**A/N –** Gasp! Which will Tiki choose? _How_ can he choose? You'll see! Hell…I won't even know until it's finished…the stories kind of write themselves. I'm just the one who types them up while the characters do whatever they want.

This story is rated T just to safe, but, honestly, I think it's rated more of K+. Meh. Oh well. I just don't wanna get in trouble for giving it a lower rating then it really is. That would be bad.

Reflection

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

Rhodes looked up from her book when she heard the door open, her golden eyes closing partly as she let a smirk cross her face. Tiki gave her a curious look, but said nothing but a cheerful, "You're still up?" She closed the book and jumped to her feet, putting her hands behind her head.

"How can I sleep after what I just saw?" She asked in a spiteful tone. He gave her a tired sigh and asked politely what she meant, tossing his hat onto a coat-rack nearby and tugging off his coat as he turned his back to her. "I mean…it isn't often that a Noah is seen making out with an Exorcist." His coat fell from his fingers and look of horror crossed his face. Rhodes scowled at him. "How could you betray us like that?! Aren't you part of our family?!"

He took a deep breath as he picked his coat up and hung it carefully on the rack, smoothing out some wrinkles on it. After a moment, he spoke, giving her a coy smile. "How many of us actually do our job?"

"Me." She said darkly. He rolled his eyes and turned to her.

"Don't worry, Rhodes-chan!" Tiki patted her on the head. "I was merely playing the boy. Nothing more, so quit worrying over pointless things!" He laughed lightly as he walked past her, his mouth feeling as though he had just eaten dirty soap. He knew his words were venomous lies, but lying was better then facing the Earl. He suppressed a shudder when he thought of the Earl taking care of the problem: Rabi.

Rhodes, who was much better at reading people then she was given credit for, saw the slight shiver that barely shook a lock of his hair, and knew instantly that every word was a lie to save himself or, worse yet, the Exorcist. "Bullshit!" She snapped. "A Noah, one of the great Apostles of God, _enemy to humanity_, is in love with a _human_!" She laughed bitterly, watching as the older man froze in mid-step. "I can't wait to tell Lord Millennium about this!"

"Don't you dare!" He shouted, whirling around to face her. His dark eyes were narrowed in anger. As he had expected, she wasn't shaken by his glare, still smiling at him as if she were proud of herself. She pulled a stick of bubblegum from her pocket and unwrapped it, shoving it into her mouth. "It has nothing to do with Lord Millennium. I'm merely trying to get closer to them…"

"Really?" Rhodes crossed her arms over her chest. "If that's true, then tell me what you gave him." He hesitated. "Well?"

"Nothing much. Just a small meaningless trinket." Tiki answered calmly.

"Oh?" She smirked once more, catching him in another lie. "Then how come your precious music box is missing?" He stared at her. She was smarter then he had expected, and he found himself getting backed into a corner with no escape. "You always keep it next to your bed, and you panic if anyone even touches it. So…where could it have gone, I wonder?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, looking her in the eye sadly, as if admitting he was guilty. She gave him a victorious sneer and walked over to him, stopping a few feet away from him. Neither said anything for a long while, Rhodes waiting for the man to speak. When she realized he wasn't going to talk, she spoke, her voice mocking. "Which will it be, Tiki?" He gave her a curious look. "Us or him? Wich is more important to you?"

_My family._

Tiki studied the ground for a long while, a thoughtful look on his face.

_My loyalty lies with them._

"…If I must choose…"

"_And no heart…"_

Tiki closed his eyes. Rabi's words were still fresh in his mind. The boy was a prisoner of his heritage, his job, his destiny, and Tiki was no better despite the words he spoke of having freedom and being no one's pet. He wanted what Rabi had.

Innocence of the heart.

Loving friends.

Freedom to feel as he pleased.

A purpose to live.

_I destroy what I love. I love humans._

_Forgive me…for the choice I must make is a hard one indeed._

Rhodes studied him with a frown. He was having such a hard time trying to decide between his family and the one pitiful human he had met twice before that day. She jumped a bit when he finally answered, giving her a smile. "I'd have to say that this is no contest. I believe I have to do what I have to do."

She smirked. "I knew you would…!" Her eyes widened in shock when Tiki thrust his hand through her chest and cupped her heart with his hand gently. He smiled a bit at her expression of terror. Her heart raced as expected and gave him a familiar feeling of pleasure as the thought of killing someone entered his mind.

The girl didn't even have time to curse him before it was over, her heart crushed in her chest. She slumped to the floor, his arm phasing through her as she fell lifelessly to the floor. He grabbed his coat and hat, pulling them on wordlessly. He put a gloved hand on the door handle and paused, looking at her body with a smile.

"Sweet dreams, Rhodes. It was a pleasure working with you." He said, tipping his hat a bit at her corpse before walking out as if nothing had even occurred, closing the door behind him quietly.

_It's only a matter of time before they find her…_he thought as he headed back into town, pausing to watch the snow slowly drift to the ground quietly around him, sticking out his tongue and catching one. _And once they do, they'll know what happened. I've always enjoyed gambling…_He chuckled bitterly as he resumed walking. _So…I wonder who has the winning hand?_

Owari

**A/N –** What?! He killed Rhodes?! That was somewhat…satisfying. I've always hated her, but I really wasn't expecting him to kill her. Injure her maybe, but kill? Heh. Guess he must really love Rabi! But…does Rabi return the feelings?

Tiki: He better! panic

Rabi: And if I don't?

Tiki: I'll rape you. smile

Rabi: Get away from me! hides

Tiki: grin

…Anyway. So! What do you think? Good? Bad? Should I continue? Should I just jump off a building? Please tell me what you think! I love hearing from you people, so give me feedback! Also, flames will be laughed at and posted for all to see! Until next time, remember this simple rule: NEVER PISS OFF THE NOAH!! It's bad juju.


	3. Frozen pt 1

**Summery:** Sequel to _Reflection_. Rabi and Allen are sent on a mission to a town in the highlands of Scotland that has been completely encased in ice. The reigning Akuma have killed the dispatched Finders mercilessly and it's up to two of the best Exorcists to take care of it. However, they have an unexpected tag-along: Tiki Mick! With Allen at odds with Tiki and Tiki egging the Exorcist on, can Rabi keep their heads level during the job? Or will he lose more then just forty-two hours of sleep?

This story is rated T+ due to violence (finally) and language.

OH CRAP! I just remembered something! I forgot the DISCLAIMERS in the last two parts!! Well, uh, I'll make it up to you now! I don't own D. Gray-Man, its characters or the Akuma! Just the current plot of my series of stories, that's all. Please…PLEASE no flaming! –sob-

**Tiki:** Smooth move, girl. Not only have you lost your money, but now your memory! –heart- Full house!

**Rabi:** DAMN IT! –throws hand at Tiki-

**Tiki:** Now, time to pay up, Bunny-chan!

**Rabi:** No! Not in front of so many people! –blush-

**Frozen**

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

"…And that's what Komui-san said we had to do…" Allen glanced up from his file to talk to his friend, who was staring off into space. It had been over two hours since they had boarded the train, and Rabi had been lost in thought since they had left base and Allen was beginning to worry. Rabi was never one to think so hard about something. He reached over and nudged his friend gently, the red haired boy jerking a bit and giving his companion a startled look. "Rabi?"

"Yeah?" The teen ran a hand through his hair, letting his headband fall to his shoulders with a sigh.

"Are you okay?" Allen watched as Rabi stretched his arms over his head and yawned, acting as if he hadn't heard him. The white haired boy studied his comrade quietly for a moment before speaking once more, hoping that his words would be heard this time. "If something's bothering you, you can tell me…" The older Exorcist gave him a small smile and shook his head a bit, turning to look out at the passing fields of snow, admiring the way the moonlight glistened off of the minuscule flecks of ice.

He rested his chin on his arm and lifted his other hand to draw smiley faces on the glass in front of his face that fogged over with each breath that escaped him. "I'm okay, Allen. Really." His smile faltered a bit as his mind drifted back to the subject he had been pondering before Allen had rudely disturbed him.

He had never been treated kindly by an enemy, let alone one who was as dangerous, unpredictable and merciless as Tiki Mick. _But, then again…_he mused with a lop-sided smile on his face. _I guess that's why he's unpredictable._ Allen raised an eyebrow at his friend's smile, rubbing his neck a bit as he tried to figure out what was making the Exorcist across from him grin as if he had just won a gold metal.

"Bunny-chan, you look so happy! I see my music box helped?" Someone spoke from the doorway. Toma was sitting on the floor in the hall, shaking violently as he stared at the well-dressed gentleman, who tipped his hat to the two Exorcists with a playful grin on his face.

Allen was on his feet in seconds, Rabi between them almost instantly, one hand on Allen's chest and the other lightly touching Tiki's. "YOU!" the white haired boy yelled, trying to shove past Rabi. "Rabi, get away from him! He's a Noah!"

Rabi shook his head and gave his friend a dark glare that silently told him to calm down. He turned his gaze to Tiki as he asked calmly, "Why are you here?" Tiki smiled at them and sat next to where Rabi had been and placed on leg across his knee. "Well?"

"I just came to visit, Bunny-chan." He said mischievously. "It's natural for one to see the one they care for, right?" Rabi's glare faltered, his cheeks turning a deep shade of red as he drew his hammer and threatened to beat him with it. Allen, knowing just how small the train was, grabbed his arms and covered his mouth and tried to plead with the boy.

"Rabi! If you use that, you'll destroy the entire train!!"

"And what about your claw-thingy?!"

"That's different!"

"No it isn't!"

The older man watched them curiously, a look of innocent confusion on his face as the two bickered like squabbling siblings. Their fighting stopped abruptly when the train jerked violently, sending both exorcists into Tiki, who held up his hat so it wouldn't get smashed. Moments later, something long and sharp sliced through the roof, nearly stabbing Allen, who slumped to the floor and stared at the blade with wide eyes.

Rabi stared at the weapon and snapped, "PLEASE say that's not a Level 2 Akuma!" Allen looked at his friend, his left eye having changed as it always did when an Akuma was near. The red haired Exorcist cursed and climbed off of the older man as the blade was retracted. "Guess we gotta fight sooner then we expected!" With that, he ran to the window and shoved it open, starting to climb out.

Without warning, he was grabbed by the Akuma and dragged onto the top of the train. "RABI!" Allen ran toward the window, but froze in mid-step when someone from another cabin screamed, followed by the roar of an Akuma. "Ah…"

Tiki sighed and stood on the seat, touching the ceiling. "A-chan. You go ahead and tend to the humans." He smiled. "I'll save Bunny-chan." With that, he pulled himself through the ceiling.

_What's going on?! _The boy thought, running from the cabin. _Why did Rabi stop me from attacking him? And why is he saving Rabi? Could it be that they're…no. No, I have to concentrate on saving the innocents. _

Rabi yelped as he was slammed against the hard steel of the train, the force denting the metal and knocking the wind out of him. The Akuma standing over him was, indeed, a Level 2. It, in Rabi's opinion, was one of the nastiest ones he had seen.

It had a tall, slender body with detached arms that had some very nasty looking blades jutting out of the forearm and traveling down the length of it's ivory limbs. The thing holding him down was a thick and heavy claw that dug into his chest painfully. It's face was malformed and saliva dripped from it's jagged teeth and the ground sizzled when a drop hit it. It laughed at Rabi's futile attempts to escape and leaned closer.

"**Foolish human!**" It snarled, Rabi wincing when he got a whiff of it's breath, smelling only death and blood. The Exorcist smirked at it, tightening his grip on his Hammer and moved it so it was pointing at the monster on top of him.

"Ugh…you're breath smells worse then Komui-san's socks!" He said. The Akuma roared and drew back it's other claw to strike the boy again. "Grow, grow, grow, GROW!" The Akuma swung at him, but it's attack fell just short as the cross on the Hammer impaled it and the Anti-Akuma weapon sent it flying off the train.

Tiki, who had been watching the small fight from a few feet away smiled as Rabi picked himself up and nearly toppled over from the force of the wind. "I knew you'd survive, Bunny-chan." He shouted over the wind. The younger boy gave him a dirty look and crawled over to him, smacking him with the now-small hammer. Tiki caught his hat and rubbed head tenderly, pouting like a child at the fuming Exorcist. "What was that for?!" He yelped.

"You bastard!" Rabi snapped, smacking him twice more. "You could've helped! What if that bastard's acid-slime hit my face?! What then, wise-guy?!"

Allen, meanwhile, had just taken care of the Akuma in the train and was now sitting on the window, watching the two argue with a confused look on his face. The two were acting like children, but what shocked him more was the fact that Tiki was taking the abuse with immature whining and waving his arm at Rabi to keep the pissed boy away from him.

Eventually, Rabi calmed and put his weapon away, grumbling and starting back toward the window. He yelped when Tiki grabbed him around the waist and held him close. Before the boy even had a chance to demand his freedom, they were sitting on the carpeted floor of the train hallway, Toma staring at them as if they were ghosts. "Eh? Where…?"

Tiki released the boy and stood, brushing wrinkles off his clothing and checking his hat over. He gave Rabi a coy smile as he placed his hat back on his wind-blown hair and extended his hand to the boy. Frowning a bit, Rabi slapped the hand away lightly and stood, dusting himself off. "Sore, Bunny-chan?" The man said teasingly. He yelped a bit when the red haired Exorcist punched his arm and stormed back into the cabin. "Eehhh? What'd I do?"

Shrugging, he followed Rabi and sat next to him, Allen now back in his seat and staring at the two worriedly. The older Exorcist was back to glaring out the window and drawing lop-sided smiley faces once more. Tiki was propped a leg on his knee and tipped his hat over his eyes to sleep, his smile never fading.

After several minutes of silence, Allen spoke, his voice soft and unsure. "What's…going on between you two?" Rabi made a grunting sound before responding.

"Nothing!" Rabi snapped.

"We're lovers." Tiki said at the same time with a smile. Rabi glared at him and started to speak, but was cut of by Tiki laying a gloved finger to the boy's parted lips. He shifted his hat so he could look at Rabi from the corner of his eye and added, "Don't tell me you forgot that kiss we shared two nights ago…" Quickly, Rabi looked away and the older man let a victorious smile cross his face.

Allen's eyes nearly did a hostile takeover of his face as he nearly yelled, "You two WHAT?!"

Rabi could feel the heat building in his face and knew instantly that he was blushing a very interesting shade of red that was probably brighter than his hair. "It…it wasn't…" he tried. "It wasn't like it was voluntary…"

The Noah blinked, but said nothing, watching Rabi's reflection quietly as if searching for answers the boy's real face didn't tell. Allen, recovering slowly, gave his friend a horrified look as he said, his voice raising a pitch as it usually did when he was upset, "Rabi, he's a Noah! How…how could you let him kiss you?!"

"Allen…" Rabi's voice was shockingly heavy with sadness. "Do you despise me now?" The question caught both Tiki and Allen off guard. Slowly, the older Exorcist's friend touched his arm lightly, the boy's eyes filled with concern.

"No, Rabi, you're my best friend…it's just…shocking…" he glared at Tiki. "Just…tell me what happened…" He gave his friend a sad look as Rabi stood and left the cabin, pushing past Toma. "R-Rabi…!" With that, Allen stood and chased after the older boy, closing the door behind him and leaving Tiki alone to ponder.

_Poor boy._ Tiki thought with a small smile as he closed his eyes. _He has no clue what he's feeling…_His expression saddened. _And neither do I…_

**- - - - - - -**

Allen grabbed Rabi's arm and pulled him to a stop, noting sadly that the other boy refused to look at him. "Rabi, what's wrong? What did I say?" His eyes widened when he heard a very familiar sound, one he thought he would never hear from the normally happy and playful Rabi.

Crying.

Rabi was crying.

It took the younger Exorcist a long while to realize this, but when he did, he reacted. He wrapped his arms around the other boy, squeaking a bit when Rabi slumped to his knees and buried his face in his hands. "R-Rabi?"

"I cant believe this!" Rabi whimpered, shaking his head.

"You can't believe what?" Allen inquired softly, his eyes filled with concern.

Rabi couldn't bring himself to look at his friend, knowing his next words would be like telling someone they enjoyed getting stung by jellyfish. Face still hidden by his hands and voice muffled, he said, "I'm in love…with him."

**A/N –** Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?! Rabi admitted it!? And this is the end?! Nah. Just kidding. This is the first two-chapter one-shot of the series, but I'm expecting a few more. What'll happen next, you ask? Well, keep reading and find out! -


	4. Frozen pt 2

Frozen Part 2

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

"I'm in love…with him…"

Allen pulled away from Rabi by reflex, his eyes wide and mouth hanging open in shock. He sat beside his friend for a long while, unsure of what to do now that the other boy's feelings had been admitted. Slowly, he hugged the trembling Exorcist and crooned softly, "It's okay…it's nothing to be ashamed about…" He bit his lip when he felt Rabi collapse against him, the older boy burying his face in Allen's chest in an attempt to keep from sobbing. "You can't really control who you love…it just happens…right?"

"Allen, don't try to act like you don't find it disgusting." Rabi mumbled, staring at his friend's chest, his eye shimmering with tears. "I'm no idiot. You freaked out, and you're still freaking."

Allen sighed. "I don't find it disgusting…" he sighed softly and patted Rabi's back lightly. "I think you should love someone…no matter what gender they are, or even who they are…" Rabi looked at him with a look that called him a liar. Allen shook his head and flicked the other boy's forehead. "I'm serious. If you love him, then it's okay. But the second he betrays us…" His expression turned serious. "You know what we'll have to do…right?"

"…I know." Rabi said as he pulled away from his colleague and rubbed his eye. "Trust me, the thought's gone through my head more than once." Allen nodded slowly. Rabi gave him the grin he was famous for and stood, putting his hands behind his head. "I'm gonna wander for a while…we'll be in the town soon, so I won't be gone long." Without waiting for a response, he walked off.

"Rabi…" Allen whispered, sadness in his eyes. "Everyday…you're becoming more and more like a Bookman…please don't deny what you want…" He knew his words had fallen on deaf ears, but hoped that somehow he heard him and would follow the advice. He knew, however, this was hopeless.

- - - - - - -

Tiki looked up when Allen returned, blinking a bit when he realizes Rabi wasn't with him. He closed the book he had been reading and set it on the seat beside him as he asked, noticing the distant and sorrowful look on the boy's face, "What happened?"

It was against his judgment to tell Tiki what Rabi had said, but he knew what the older Exorcist would do: Ignore his own heart and act as if nothing were wrong.

Hide his emotions.

Forget his heart.

After several minutes of silence, the white haired boy spoke, though it was barely audible and the man had to strain to hear him. "Rabi…he's becoming distant…" Allen couldn't bring himself to look at the Noah, knowing he was disclosing information he had been trusted with. _He never told me not to tell…_he reasoned. _But…I know what he wants…he wants to forget about everything and move on. I can't let him do that…not when he's so close to the edge._ Tiki watched the boy's face, noting silently that the Exorcist was having an inward battle. He jumped a bit when Allen looked at him and spoke, his voice quivering. "He's…" He swallowed hard. "He's…in love with you…"

The words were whispered, but Tiki caught every syllable and, honestly, every smart-ass comment he had saved up for instances like this were suddenly nowhere to be seen. Hell, every thought he had been thinking was now a distant memory. He had been bracing himself for a mental assault from Allen, but when he came to being told someone was in LOVE with him, well, lets just say he was at a loss for words. He could only utter one very confused and very shocked, "Come again?"

Allen rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to repeat what he had said, but stopped when the cabin door opened, leaning back and looking out the window quickly. Rabi looked the two over: Allen looked nervous enough to start sweating blood and Tiki was shaking his head as if he had been thrown through a washer. He raised an eyebrow and asked, looking between the two of them, "What…did I miss?"

"Nothing!" Both chimed at the same time, causing the red haired Exorcist to stare at them in confusion.

Tiki put a charming smile on his face and grabbed Rabi's wrist, pulling him onto his lap and hugging him, ignoring the boy's cursing and protesting. "It's cold, Bunny-chan." he whimpered, nuzzling the teen's cheek. "And you're in this short-sleeved shirt of all things…" He pressed Rabi closer, the Exorcist blushing brightly.

_Oh god…If we get any closer…_Rabi mentally panicked. His panic attack ceased the second he felt Tiki slid the teen so his cheek was against his shoulder, his arms encircling his waist and holding him close comfortably. _It's…warm…maybe it isn't so bad…?_

Allen blushed a bit and looked away from them, smiling slightly. _Tiki's…trying to break Rabi's Bookman pact…_A thought struck him, worry now etching his face. _But what if the Panda finds out…? What if ANYONE finds out? This is almost as bad as __Romeo and Juliet__…lets hope the ending is different…_

Rabi allowed Tiki to hold him until they felt the train come to a stop. Allen stood and grabbed their bags, smiling at Rabi and leaving the cabin. "C'mon, guys. I don't know about Tiki, but we have a mission to finish." The red haired teen nodded and started to stand, but paused when he realized Tiki wasn't going to let him go.

"Tiki? Let—" he looked back at him and stopped in mid-sentence. Tiki had a serious look on his face and his eyes were narrowed. His grip tightened on the boy, earning him a small whimper of pain. "Ow…what's wrong?" Tiki didn't respond for a while, and when he finally did, his voice was dark and filled with anger and something that terrified Rabi even more then seeing his best friend nearly die.

Tiki's eyes betrayed fear. Complete and utter fear.

"You aren't going." He stated finally in a commanding voice that seemed alien coming from the normally cheerful man's soft lips. "I won't let you go out there and die..."

"What? What the hell's strong enough to scare YOU?!" Rabi yelled, twisting in Tiki's grasp to face him. The man looked him dead in the eye and remained silent, simply studying the teen's face. "I have to go! If I don't, Allen might get seriously hurt, and I won't lose my best friend again!" After his outburst, Rabi felt a wave of coldness wash over him, and he shifted uncomfortably under Tiki's gaze, finding it hard to talk suddenly.

"I won't let Rhodes kill you." He growled, gently setting the teen on the seat next to him as he stood and placed his hat on his head. "I understand you have a mission…and I know you have to protect your friend…but…" He looked down at the boy. "I'll be with you the whole time…and if you see Rhodes, take Allen and run."

Rabi stared up at Tiki, his eye wide. _He…he really does care about me…? But why?! Why does a Noah love a human?!_ Slowly, he stood and adjusted his clothing before checking to see if he had Nyoibou. He looked up at Tiki, noting with a shiver that the man's expression was cold and serious, a strange and frightening look for him.

As if sensing Rabi's worry, Tiki shot the boy a kind and comforting smile before tipping his hat slightly and exiting the cabin, Rabi at his heels.

- - - - - - - -

Allen sighed and hugged himself, shivering as he waiting outside the train for his friends and the Noah, studying the scene sadly.

Houses were frozen, as were the streets and people stood like statues, wrapped in an icy prison that kept their terrified expressions and movements as still and blank as clay figures. Snow fell lazily to the ground, covering the tops of the ice-sculptures with a white blanket, making everything blend into the white background of the countryside around the town.

Something dark darted around a corner and out of Allen's line of sight. _A survivor?_ He hoped. He was torn momentarily between waiting for Rabi, Toma and Tiki and chasing after the possible survivor. His worries ended quickly as the thought of someone getting hurt entered his mind and, with a quick glance back at the train, took off after the shadow, snow and ice crunching underfoot noisily.

He chased the figure for what felt like an eternity but were in fact mere minutes before he cornered it. Or thought he had. He stared at tall brick wall that stood at the end of the alley he was standing in, confusion on his face. Then it hit him when his cursed eye let out a loud machine-like whirring, signaling an Akuma was near.

Before he could activate his claw, someone placed a sharp spike against his jugular and five Akuma seemed to phase through the ground, all at their Level 2 stage. He was trapped, and with the weapon at his throat, he was unable to fight. His fears rose to a new level when the person behind him said, "We've no interest in _you_…we want the Rabbit."

_Rabi…!_

- - - - - - -

Rabi scratched his head curiously as he looked for Allen, ignoring the icy air that stun his arms and face like tiny needles. Something told him all was not well with his friend, but he reminded himself that Allen was stronger then even himself, and could handle any problems long enough for backup to arrive. Toma stood beside him, scanning the area quietly. "So this is the place?" The Finder pondered as Tiki stepped out the train and stood behind the Exorcist.

"Yup…" Rabi mumbled, walking to a 'statue' and tapping the ice lightly. "Any chance of these guys living?" Tiki joined him and leaned down to look the person in the eye, a cute smile crossing his face. The red haired Exorcist looked up at the man for an answer, his question dying in his throat and being replaced by a very loud, "What the hell are you doing?!"

The Noah glanced at him innocently, hiding a marker behind his back before shifting gaze to the frozen human once more. The human's face now had thick, bushy eyebrows, round eyes with three eyelashes and a star by it's mouth as if it were grinning. The teen growled and snatched the marker from the man's gloved hands and gave him a dirty look. "Don't deface the innocent statues!" He sighed when Tiki let a childish pout cross his face and thrust the marker back into his hands. "…Make sure it's at least old people…"

Toma couldn't believe it. He had overheard Allen and Rabi talking, but he couldn't wrap his mind around the facts that dangled in front of him like a neon sign wrapped in Christmas lights. He jumped a bit when the train started up and moved away from the town, and it was then that he decided it was best to try and get the Exorcist moving as well. "Rabi-sama." He tried, the sound of the teen's name instantly getting his attention. "We should try and find Walker-sama."

"Oh…oh, right!" Rabi blushed with embarrassment, having momentarily forgotten that they were on a dangerous mission and needed to be on their toes. Squaring his shoulders, he began walking, his two friends at his heels, Toma looking around like a scared mouse while Tiki relied on peripheral vision.

They walked for an hour before they saw anything of interest, and even then, they were far from pleased.

They stood before a towering church, the large double doors at the top of a long set of stairs were frozen shut and the windows were dark and lifeless. Atop the church, a giant cross jutted from the building's roof was surrounded by Akuma, but it wasn't the Akuma that made Rabi's stomach drop to his feet. Allen was tied to the top of the cross, his arms and legs frozen to the large wooden cross. "ALLEN!" Rabi screamed, running forward. He froze when someone laughed from the doorway of the church. Tiki's hands tightened into shaking fists and Toma took a couple steps away from the suddenly furious Noah.

Rhodes placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward a bit, smiling down at Rabi from her place at the top of the stairs. "Hello, Rabbit. We've been waiting for you to come and play…"

To be continued… A/N – Bahahahahaha! Now you HAVE to keep reading! I hope. Unless you guys don't like Allen…TT…Please don't flame me…I like all of you, and while my other stories only have a few reviews, it's those people, and the ones who read them and don't review, that make me continue writing this series. I hope you guys will continue reading this until it reaches the series climax.

Happy New Years!


	5. Helpless

**Summery: **Sequel to _Frozen_. The fight against Rhodes has arrived, but she has an ace in the hole – Allen! Can Rabi and Tiki take her and her Akuma down before Allen is eaten!? The clock is ticking down to the showdown, but who'll win?

**A/N –** I bet you guys were cursing the day I was born for ending it like that, eh? Hehehe…Anyway, this story is rated T+ for character death and violence.

I don't own D.Gray-Man or any of its characters. I just own the plot for this series of one-shots and the occasional two-shot.

Last Time in

"_Frozen"_

Atop the church, a giant cross jutted from the building's roof was surrounded by Akuma, but it wasn't the Akuma that made Rabi's stomach drop to his feet. Allen was tied to the top of the cross, his arms and legs frozen to the large wooden cross. "ALLEN!" Rabi screamed, running forward. He froze when someone laughed from the doorway of the church. Tiki's hands tightened into shaking fists and Toma took a couple steps away from the suddenly furious Noah.

Rhodes placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward a bit, smiling down at Rabi from her place at the top of the stairs. "Hello, Rabbit. We've been waiting for you to come and play…"

Helpless

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

"We've been waiting for you to come out and play…"

Rabi trembled with rage and, with a shout, charged at her, his Anti-Akuma Weapon raised and growing until it was as large as its wielder was tall. "You bitch!" He screamed, bringing Nyoibou down in an arch, intending to smash her into the ground.

Rhodes smiled at him as the weapon neared her and, a split second before it hit, dodged nimbly to the side, laughing at the Exorcist's fury. She jumped out of the way of his furious swings that destroyed pieces of stone and shattered thick chunks of ice. Tiki watched the fight, biting his lip in worry. _If he keeps attacking like that, he'll wear himself out before he can even hit her…_He tossed his top hat to Toma before charging into the fray, his expression solemn. _Rabi, this is not a fight you can do alone._

Rabi swung at Rhodes once more, but his attack was unable to strike even the ground before Tiki tackled him and ran up the stairs without breaking stride, jumping through the ice and door and skidding to a stop in the center of the church foyer.

The dying sunlight came in through the frozen windows, tainting everything a dull blue. It was freezing, even Tiki shivering slightly as he stared at the door expectantly, hugging Rabi close as if he were afraid the boy would disappear from his arms.

Rabi trembled from the cold, watching his breath form a small white cloud in front of his face before it disappeared. He turned his gaze upward; staring at Tiki for a moment before demanding, "Let me go! Tiki, let me go! I have to save Allen!" The man's grip tightened, earning him a soft whimper of pain from the Exorcist.

"Hush…" He crooned gently, placing a hand gently on the back of Rabi's head, never looking away from the door. A small line of light entered the room as the doors opened slowly, as if teasing him. "We'll save Allen…" The door opened a bit more. "And when we get back…" He smiled lightly at the thought, staring still at the door as he felt Rabi's shaking lessen. "I'll buy you something good, okay?"

The door flew open the rest of way and the sunlight poured in, and Rhodes' shadow stretched across the ground and stopped at the edge of Tiki's foot. She walked in briskly, kicking the door shut behind her. She was holding something in her arms, but from where the two stood it was impossible to tell what it was.

Her golden eyes were cold and filled with hate when she noticed how the man she had once thought of as family held the Exorcist. The _human_. A human had destroyed her family, stolen the heart of the man she had once been proud to fight beside. She would never forgive them for doing this to her and ripping her family apart.

"Earl-sama…" she said. "Is letting me take care of you both." She tossed the object she had been holding so it landed at Rabi's feet. The Exorcist slowly looked down bit back a gasp, a wave of sickness washing over him.

While the face was horribly slashed and pieces of it were missing from what looked like bite marks, Rabi could still make out who the head had belonged to. He let out a soft groan of sorrow as he said, "T-Toma-san…" Tiki gently pushed Rabi behind him, staring at the girl with emotionless eyes.

"You know you can't hurt me." He said after a long while of silence, keeping an arm outstretched to side to keep the horrified Exorcist behind him. "So why bother fighting me?" His emotionless mask slipped when the girl began laughing. He frowned, but said nothing as he waited for her to stop laughing. Something told him to run, but running would be fruitless since she would follow him to the ends of the earth to extract her revenge.

Wiping a tear from her eyes, Rhodes smirked and shouted, "Really? I can't hurt you, eh? Heh…don't look now, but I think my winning card's just been played…"

Light flashed underneath the two males, the light taking the form of a pentagram. With a curse, Tiki shoved Rabi away, sending the teen sprawling with a cry of shock. Chains of energy shot from the five points and encircled Tiki's wrists, ankles and throat tightly. _What…?! I can't phase through them? _His shock was written on his face and made Rhodes chuckle as she walked over to him. He glared at her and tried to speak, instead letting out a sharp gasp as the chains contracted slightly.

Rabi squeaked when he landed and skidded across the marble flooring, stopping when he hit the pedestal at the front of the room, knocking the bible from its place. He rubbed his head tenderly and looked up, blinking when he saw what had happened to Tiki. Slowly, and very painfully, he dragged himself to his feet and readied Nyoibou. _Tch…That idiot! He should have moved _with_ me instead of playing hero!_

He took a step forward as if to lunge at Rhodes, but froze when he felt a claw wrap around his neck, sharp nails digging into skin. A second one grabbed the hand with Nyoibou and twisted. For a moment, the Exorcist felt numb, and then the pain set in. He bit his lip to keep from screaming as his arm was yanked roughly behind his back, his shoulder popping out place.

Nerves screamed and muscles tore, and the pain remained even after the Akuma behind him released his arm and let it hang limply at the boy's side. He could taste blood, having bit his lip a little too hard while trying not to let on how much it hurt. His hammer fell from his quivering fingers, hitting the ground with a solid 'clank' that echoed throughout the room.

Tiki heard the sickening crack of bone dislodging from it's socket and sound of Rabi's weapon hitting floor, but was unable to move no matter how hard he struggled, the chains constricting to the point of almost complete suffocation.

Rhodes gave him a dirty look and kicked him as hard as she could in the stomach, earning her a satisfying gasp and a round of violent coughing. "Don't knock yourself out! I want you to see every little thing I'm going to do to him…" She gave the wincing man a cold smirk and snapped her fingers. The Akuma holding Rabi began marching toward the female Noah, the Exorcist's feet dragging as he tried to keep up with the weapon's pace futilely. They stopped beside Rhodes, the girl smiling once more at the traitor Noah as she withdrew a multicolored spike and turned to Rabi.

"Don't touch him!" Tiki snapped, trying to break free once more. He knew she wouldn't kill him, not until she made it clear that she was done playing with her new "dolls" anyway. For a short while, Rabi was shaking slightly with fear, having seen the aftermath of Allen's encounter with her. After a moment, he let a confident grin cross his face.

"Heh…do your best, bitch." The teen taunted, his eyes suddenly becoming full of courage. "If this is the only way you can beat someone, then you're nothing but a fucking coward." He forced a laugh out as he added, "Then again, elves aren't much good for anything but working under a jolly fat man and making toys, are they?"

Rabi was pushing buttons that none should even consider touching. _You idiot…are you trying to get killed?_ Tiki didn't have much time to ponder Rabi's idiocy before blinding pain shot through his body, the man letting out a startled cry.

Rhodes yanked the spike from his stomach, her eyes never leaving Rabi's. She smiled at him, glad to see the fear return to the teen's face. She stabbed Tiki once more, just above the other injury and withdrew it slowly, holding it up and placing it against Rabi's cheek, dragging it down his face gently. "Every word you utter from your filthy human mouth, means I get to give him a little cut…" She giggled when she saw hate cross the teen's face. "Poor little rabbit. It must be hard seeing the only person who loves you bleeding to death."

She leaned close, her mouth close to his ear as she breathed, "You're helpless. Just a useless little bunny that can't save anyone…" She fell back onto her heels and giggled, turning to Tiki and giving him a sadistic smile.

Rabi looked as if he wanted to spit in her face, but somehow managed to keep himself in check, his gaze shifting between the grinning Noah in front of him and the man he had earlier admitted to loving. His stomach tightened and once more found its way to his toes, his body shaking like a leaf when he saw the condition the man was in.

Blood flowed steadily from the two injuries, Tiki's expression one of numb shock. The Exorcist had studied basic medicine, but even an inexperienced person could tell when the clock would cease ticking. He closed his eye tightly, hoping that this was all just a horrible dream, that he would wake up and find himself cuddled against his pillow with the music box playing it's melody softly.

- - - - - - - -

Allen struggled as hard as he could, but his limbs had long since gone numb, making his struggles weak and fruitless. The Akuma around him laughed and began asking each other what parts of him they wanted. The white haired Exorcist groaned in defeat. He knew that whatever was happening inside the church couldn't be good, especially if Rhodes work on Toma was any indication of what she intended to do to his friend.

He bit his quivering lip and took a deep breath. _Okay…calm down, Allen. Think…_His eyes widened as an idea hit him. _That's it! Hold on, guys…just hold on a few more minutes…_

- - - - - - - -

Rabi was rudely startled from his hopes by Rhodes giving him a swift kick to the stomach, earning her a small yelp and some small gasping. He glared at her and tried to think. Tiki couldn't hold on much longer, that much was obvious, but how could he save him when he couldn't get himself free? The Noah girl snapped her fingers and the Akuma holding Rabi looked at her. "Have some fun with him. Don't infect him just yet. I want him to be awake when his DEAR Tiki dies."

The Akuma snickered and flung Rabi into a wall with a sickening crack, the Exorcist yelping when he struck the thick marble wall and landed painfully on the ground. He staggered to his feet only to be grabbed by the Akuma and slammed into the floor, the force knocking the window out of him. The living weapon seemed to smirk and proceeded to pummel him with its free claw, the other one holding him down.

Tiki could only watch helplessly, Rabi's pained cries making everything blurry and his throat tighten. Then he realized that it wasn't the screams. It was hateful, sorrowful tears. He tried to speak, but his voice had failed him, just as every other part of his body had. He finally managed to force words out when the human was flung into the air and landed at his feet, struggling to remain conscious. "Rabi!" He had never felt this desperate before in his life.

Rabi staggered to his feet once more, giving Tiki a weak grin. "N…no problem. I'm fine..."

Rhodes gave Rabi an annoyed look. "Eeh? You can still stand? Akuma! Are you even putting your body into it?!" The Akuma scoffed and started toward the Exorcist once more. Rabi braced himself for another attack, and when nothing came he opened his eye and stared in shock at the sight before him.

The Akuma was nowhere to be seen, a small cloud of ash drifting to the ground silently. Allen stood in the doorway of the church, his Level Two Anti-Akuma weapon activated. He aimed the cannon at Rhodes and fired, running forward. She cursed as she was struck, sending her sprawling. The younger Exorcist gave Rabi a weak smile and ordered, "Free Tiki so we can get out of here!" The red haired teen nodded and knelt at one of the pentagram corners, working on erasing the arcane symbols.

Allen fired continuous shots at Rhodes, the Noah dodging the majority of his attacks with ease, taunting him cheerfully. She froze when the Earl's voice echoed in her mind like a silent becon. _Rhodes-chan. Come back at once! We'll get them later._ The girl pouted and kicked a rock, running out the church doors and disappearing. Allen blinked, confusion in his eyes.

"What? Why'd she run away?" he wondered. Rabi let out a thriumphant cheer when the binding circle vanished. Tiki dropped into Rabi's arms, the man smiling slightly and closing his eyes.

"Tiki? Tiki, you can't fall asleep!" Rabi ordered, pulling on the man's hair like a child would. The man groaned and gave the teen a weak glare.

"But I wanna."

"You promised me something good!"

"…"

Allen smiled a bit, shaking his head. At least his friends were safe, even if Rhodes had escaped. A worried look crossed his face as he thought, looking back at the doorway,_ How can we beat her? She just keeps regenerating…_he turned his gaze back to his friends and twitched. Rabi was sound asleep, hugging Tiki close, the man passed out in his arms. His wounds had already started healing much to Allen's relief, the teen glad that the Bookman-in-training hadn't forgotten about the Noah's injuries. _…What am I gonna tell the others? 'Don't worry, Tiki's good now!'…Kanda would kill _me_…oh boy…_

Owari

**A/N –** Hmm…I liked it, but I'm no good with battle scenes, so it sounds kind of sloppy to me. Also, it was written really, really early in the morning, so if my grammor and spelling are off, tell me and I'll fix it! ; Anyway, keep and eye out for the next part!


	6. Memories

**Summery:** Sequel to _Helpless_. After the incident with Rhodes, Rabi and Tiki have had little to no time together, what with Tiki being an ex-Noah and Rabi being bedridden until he's recovered from his injuries. During his time alone, Rabi reflects on his past and his relationship with Tiki. Rabi centric.

**A/N –** I don't own D.Gray-Man! If I did, Rabi and Tiki would have screwed by now! Anyway, this story is rated T for child abuse and colorful language. This is my own take on Rabi's life pre-manga, so don't quote me on any of this as this is all…well…fiction. A fan fiction.

**Tiki:** You should just not say words.

I know…--;

**Memories**

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

The music box sat open beside Rabi's bed, playing its haunting melody that seemed to echo throughout the room. Rabi stared up at the ceiling quietly, in only a pair of white boxers and bandages that covered his chest and stomach, his arm in a cast resting on his chest. He let out a sigh, blowing a lock of his hair from his good eye, muttering, "I'm so fucking bored…"

It was midnight, this he could tell without even looking at the cloak that hung over his cluttered desk, and the reason he knew this was simple. Every night, for the past week and half now, he would entertain himself and then get bored at about twelve AM and he still had no chance of falling asleep until two.

Ever since the fight with Rhodes (which had earned him seven broken ribs, a dislocated arm that turned out to have a hairline fracture and a damaged ego that was beyond repair), he had been forced to stay in bed, unable to leave and check on Tiki.

He let out another sigh at that thought. Allen would report to him everyday and tell him that Tiki was doing fine, but he didn't really trust the doctors in the village below the Black Order, worried beyond belief that Rhodes or another Noah would try to kill him while he was vulnerable.

Thinking of Tiki brought him back to Rhodes words, the memory making him grimace. _I _was_ just a helpless rabbit._ He thought grumpily, sticking his tongue out a bit in annoyance. _Just like back then…_He closed his eye and tried to sleep, and it wasn't long before he drifted into a restless slumber filled with bitter images of a past he had hoped to put far behind him.

- - - - - - - -

Everything hurt. His chest, arms, stomach, and even his toes hurt. He had messed up again, this he knew from the way the man before him glared down at him as if he were ready to kill him. The child on the floor in front of him almost wished for death, seeking any escape from the hell he lived in. "Worthless trash!" The man over him shouted, pulling back his leg and slamming it against the small boy's stomach, earning him a loud cry of pain. The man was his father, this was easy to tell due to his bright red hair.

The woman behind him, his wife, shouted for him to stop, grabbing his arm and trying to pull him away from the sobbing boy. "Stop it! Stop it! He did nothing wrong!" her husband slapped her away, storming out of the house. The woman was at her son's side in an instant, holding him close and rocking him gently, crying into his thick red hair. "It's okay, sweetie…don't cry…"

"M-mama…it hurts to breath…" he choked around his tears, clutching the front of her dress and burying his face in her chest. She nodded and carefully lifted him up, taking him to his bedroom and laying him on his bed. She began tending to his injuries, pausing only to wipe tears from her face with her palm. When she was finished, she gave him a light pat on the head.

"You were so brave, Hoshi…" She said with a kind smile, tucking a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear. Her son smiled weakly, his eyes still shimmering with tears. "Thank you…"

"He shouldn't yell at you, mama." Hoshi said, his voice cracking. A worried look crossed his face. "He isn't gonna come home…is he?" His mother sighed and rested her forehead against Hoshi's, smiling at him as if to comfort him. He looked at her pleadingly and grabbed her hand, tears streaming down his cheeks once more. "Mama…I wanna go somewhere else…I don't want dad to hurt you anymore."

She shook her head and kissed his forehead, playing with his hair carefully, twirling a lock around her finger. For a long while she didn't answer, silently curling that lock of hair around her finger until it curled on its own. "…We can't sweetie…" she laid down beside him, staring at a bruise on her child's cheek. "If we did, we wouldn't get far…your father has all of our money." He sat up and looked down at her, trying to look stronger than he felt.

"Then I'll get a job!" He tried. She shook her head and smiled tiredly.

"You're only seven. You can't get a job…"

"Then I'll steal!" She gave him a stern look and he sunk back onto the bed, pouting. She sat up and sighed, running a hand through her hair, giving her son a grin.

"I'm going to make dinner…stay here and rest, okay?" He nodded, watching her leave. She closed the door behind her quietly, leaving him alone in the room with nothing to do but lie in bed and count the number of panels on the ceiling. He got up to twenty before he let out a groan of boredom, puffing up his cheeks and wiggling his toes despite how much it hurt. He could smell the food his mother was cooking and let a smile cross his face. Her cooking was the best he had ever had, and, in his opinion, none could compare. Everything was made from the heart, and even someone who couldn't boil water could tell that.

He could hear her singing, her voice muffled by the door, but the melody was still there, calm and gentle. He closed his eyes and yawned a bit, drifting to a peaceful sleep.

A few hours later, he was startled awake by the sound of his father yelling. A crash sounded from the front room and Hoshi pressed himself against the wall, putting his hands over his ears as he tried to block out the sounds of angered shouts and fists hitting skin. After a few minutes of cowering, Hoshi finally mustered his strength, crawling out of the bed and running from the room.

He skidded to a stop in the hallway, staring at the sight before him in horror. His mother was lying on the floor, coughing and shaking violently as she tried to breath while her husband stood over her, chest heaving and fist covered with blood.

Tears welled in Hoshi's eyes as he grabbed the nearest object, a letter-opener from the hallstand, and ran forward, stabbing it into his father's back as he screamed, "Get away from her, you bastard!"

His father roared in pain and slapped the boy away and into a wall, ripping the letter-opener from his back and storming over to him. Hoshi, dazed, tried to get to his feet but his attempts were met in failure as a foot struck him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. The child cried out when he was grabbed by his hair and slammed against the wall once more. He opened an eye and gathered enough nerve to curse, "You bastard…how can you do this to mom? You say that we're trash, but you're the one who's trash! Nothing but—" His words died in his throat, his eyes widening in shock before blinding pain shot through him. His father smirked at him and ripped the letter-opener from his son's eye before tossing him aside.

Hoshi hit the floor with a scream, holding his eye in pain. Hot tears streamed down his left cheek while warm blood stained his right one, the injury burning under his hand. A shadow fell over him and he could hear his mother's weak protests as she stood between her son and her furious husband. Her shouts were cut short by a startled gasp, and a moment later, she fell to the ground beside him, a bleeding wound over her heart.

"M…mom…" Hoshi choked, closing his eye tightly and grabbing her limp hand, squeezing it tightly as he yelled at the top of his lungs, "Someone help us!" He braced himself for his father's kick, but when nothing but silence came, he risked opening his eye to see what had happened.

Someone in a black Chinese-style coat stood in front of him, one long white ponytail hanging behind him. His father was frozen, a single needle in his throat. The stranger pulled the silver needle from the man with ancient fingers and let him drop to the ground unconscious. The child's savior turned to face him, showing the boy an old and wise face, dark circles around his eyes.

Wordlessly, he knelt and checked the woman for a pulse, closing his eyes and shaking his head a bit. Hoshi tightened his grip on her hand, which had already gone cold, and asked, his voice shaking, "I…is she…?" The elderly man sighed and carefully pried Hoshi's hand from hers and picked him up, carrying him quietly from the house. "Wait! Wait, what about mama!?" The boy asked, the pain in his eye forgotten.

"She's gone." He said softly. He could feel the boy's shaking increase before the child began to sob, clutching his savior's shoulder with one hand while the other was pressed against his injured eye.

He was taken to a small clinic, where his eye was bandaged and he was forced to rest. During the week he was there, the old man, known simply as Bookman, continued to visit him. It was the day Hoshi was released that Bookman proposed a deal.

Hoshi sat in his bed, waiting for the nurse to come with his clothing, when Bookman entered the room. The boy smiled and climbed out of bed running to the old man and hugging him. "Panda! Did you bring any candy today?" The man shook his head and the boy groaned in annoyance. "But you brought candy yesterday…" The man sighed in exasperation and sat next to the bed, the child climbing onto the bed and swinging his legs.

After a long while of silence, Bookman looked Hoshi dead in the eye and spoke. "You are a Bookman, I explained that yesterday, correct?" The boy nodded. "What is a Bookman?"

"A Bookman is someone who records unwritten history." The child recited as if he had rehursed it. "They watch from the sideline and…and…um…oh yeah! They are merely on a side when they share a common goal…right?" Bookman nodded, convinced at that moment of the boy's fate. Only someone from the Bookman clan could remember such information after it was mentioned in passing, and then the topic was changed.

"That's right."

Hoshi tilted his head to the side a bit, blinking curiously. "What's that have to do with anything, Panda?" The man's eye twitched slightly at the name, but decided against correcting him after the trauma the child had just gone through. He watched the older man stand and face him, his expression serious as usual.

"You are of the Bookman clan, this I'm sure of." He held out his hand. "You will become my student and take over my name and title when the time comes that I will die." The child's eyes widened, and for a long while, he remained silent. He chewed on his lip in thought, pondering the yays and nays of the situation.

Finally, with a nod to himself, he looked the man in the eyes and smiled. "Alright! I'll do it!"

"Chose a new name…" at the child's confusion, he explained. "Your real name means nothing. Chose a new name."

Hoshi pondered for a moment before nodding again. "Rabi. My new name is Rabi."

- - - - - - - -

Rabi groaned and muttered something under his breath tiredly, sitting up and rubbing his eye with his palm. He thought he had heard something, but only silence greeted his ears and darkness his gaze. He blinked when a gloved finger touched his lips lightly. He looked at the owner of the hand and relaxed. Tiki smiled at him from his place on the floor. "You were making sad noises in your sleep, Bunny-Chan." Tiki said with a kind smile.

"My dreams were sad." Rabi replied, smiling bad weakly. Tiki shifted to sit on the bed beside the Exorcist, playing with the boy's hair lovingly. Rabi let out a soft gasp when the Noah's fingers found the straps of his eye patch and pulled it away, exposing the scar that was his right eye. The man's expression softened as he ran his thumb over the scar gently, the red haired teen shivering as he waited for Tiki's disgust.

He blinked when he felt gentle lips brush his injured eye as Tiki whispered, "Don't cringe like that. Do you really think I'm that shallow?" He pulled away, smiling kindly. Rabi gave him a cynical look.

"Don't act like it doesn't disgust you." The teen grumbled, looking away. His attention was brought back to Tiki as the man placed a hand gently on Rabi's chin, turning his face toward his own. Before the teen could speak, the Noah pressed his lips lovingly against Rabi's, silencing the Exorcist's words.

Slowly, Rabi closed his eyes and kissed the man back, their lips parting for only to get a breath before they met once more. Tiki broke the kiss after a few minutes, giving the boy soft butterfly kisses as he breathed, "I love you."

Rabi blushed and smiled almost shyly as he whispered back, "I…I…I love you too…" He then kissed Tiki once more, the Man holding the human's hand in both of his.

Owari

**A/N –** Waai! The cuteness! -Sob!- As a final note before you guys stop reading this, I want you to know that Hoshi is not Rabi's real name. No one knows his real name, so I just chose one for him. Please read and review! I like reviews. It makes me happy. And don't worry. This isn't the last chapter. I mean, it may have ended cutely, but these two still have a long way to go before they can settle down together peacefully.


	7. Bittersweet pt 1

**Summery:** Sequel to _Memories_. Komui has ordered that Rabi remain in the Black Order until things have settled down with Rhodes, making it impossible for Rabi to meet with Tiki! But when Rabi is cornered by his ex-lover, will this spell doom for his and Tiki's already fragile relationship? TikiRabi.

This story is rated T for language, and, well, Kanda. This also has some one-sided Kanda x Rabi, so beware! As a note, Kanda is probably VERY out of character, as I'm no good at writing for jackasses like him. No offense. Kanda kicks ass, but he's a jackass and would be the first to admit it. Of course, he's going to come out as some sort of abusive bastard…I'm sorry, Kanda fans! –Sob- Forgive me for making him the asshole king!

It's sad…I like Kanda too…-sob, whimper-

I don't own D.Gray-Man or any of its characters, and all that jazz.

Well, now that all the disclaimer/Author Notes/ summery is over with, the story shall begin!

Tiki: I think that's the shortest one yet!

Silence in the presence of the Lord and Master!

Rabi: Me?

No. Me.

Rabi: Damn.

Bittersweet

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

Rabi let out a groan of frustration, his chin resting on the cluttered desk that rested against the wall across from the door as he poked at his half-eaten plate of food boredly. It was a comfortable temperature in the small room that he called his own, but it was also very, very boring. Rabi had set aside his Exorcist's uniform, instead donning a black tank top and loose white shorts, remaining bare foot as he wiggled his toes tiredly. Allen gave him a nervous grin and said, hoping to cheer his friend up, "I'm sure he'll visit!"

"Really?" Rabi mumbled, his tone betraying doubt. His younger friend nodded with a cheerful smile on his face. Slowly, the older Exorcist let the corners of his mouth twitch upwards as he straightened, removing his headband and letting his hair fall about his face limply. "Yeah. You're right. Tiki'll visit me."

It had been four days since the tender kiss he and the Noah had shared, and not even a peep had been heard from the man. Of course, it probably had something to do with the rule Komui had suddenly put into action after hearing about Rhodes seeking Rabi out. The red haired Exorcist wanted to die when the memory entered his mind and it reminded him as to why he never told Komui anything unless he had to.

- - - - - - -

"What?! Rabi-chaaaaaaaaaaan!" Komui latched onto the still recovering Rabi, tears streaming down his cheeks dramatically. The teen simply sighed and tried to suppress the urge to punch the overacting scientist, shoving his hands into his pockets. The man jabbed a finger painfully between the teen's eyes as he said, "Bad, Rabi-chan! You went and pissed a Noah off, and now she's after you? There's only one thing that can be done!"

"W-what's that?" Rabi was familiar with Komui's ideas, and none of them ever came out right and without casualties. The man struck a dramatic pose, one foot on his desk and a hand pointed at the sky. If life had been a manga, Rabi was certain there would have been stars and sparkles in the background.

"The answer is simple!" He pointed the finger at the somewhat frightened Exorcist. "You will stay within the safety of the Black Order until everything had calmed down!" He then began to laugh happily, as if he had come up with the best idea in the world while the Exorcist stared at him with a dumbfounded look on his face. It took him a few minutes to grasp what had been said, and when it finally settled in, he let out a shout of shock.

"What the hell are you talking about, you crazy doctor?!"

- - - - - - - -

Rabi groaned and banged his forehead against his desk, sighing in depression. They had had to, quite literally, drag him out of the room while River tended to the unconscious Komui, though the most admonishment he got was a slap on the wrist and a, 'don't do that again' from the higher-ups.

He looked at Allen and opened his mouth to speak, pausing when the door opened and Rinalee entered, smiling at the two happily. "Hello. I hope I'm not interrupting any boys-only conversation." She said sarcastically, earning her a nervous look from Allen and a light laugh from Rabi. "I'm glad you're doing better, Rabi." She looked the older Exorcist over, as if making sure he was able to walk, before saying, "Did you guys hear about the new cook?"

"New…" Allen started.

"Cook?" Rabi finished. He raised an eyebrow and asked, leaning back in his chair, "What, did Jerry-san give up because of Moyashi's appetite?"

"Don't call me that!" Allen scolded, giving his friend a dirty look. The red haired Exorcist simply grinned as if he had won a gold metal. Rabi was the only one who thought of a glare as an award, as he was the only one who was able to push the right buttons. He stood and stretched his arms over his head, wincing when his back emitted a wet pop. Allen shook his head and looked back at Rinalee, who continued to smile at them kindly. "So…is the new cook working now?" She nodded.

Rabi gave the younger Exorcist a playful grin as he teased, "Allen-chan, don't fall behind because of your short legs!" The white haired boy jumped to his feet and chased Rabi from the room, Timcanpy following behind its master.

"Short legs?! We'll see who has short legs after I catch you!" The teen called, running a pace behind Rabi, but still too far back to grab the Exorcist's shirt. Rinalee shook her head and let her smile fade as a thought crossed her mind, watching the two boys disappear toward the cafeteria.

_I wonder what they were talking about? Who will visit Rabi-chan?_ She wondered. She had been listening to their conversation for a while, but heaven forbid she call it eavesdropping. She wasn't intentionally snooping, but something had caught her interest and she didn't want to enter at a bad spot, but she still wondered just who it was that Rabi had been waiting so long for. She giggled as she added aloud, "Maybe he's in a love? How cute!"

- - - - - - -

"Ouchies!"

"Newbie! You're cute, but clumsy!" Jerry scolded his hired help.

"You do realize I'm taken, right?"

"Wonderful! It's a shame to see someone so cute single!" The obviously gay man squealed like a schoolgirl, skipping to the counter and leaning his arms on it, waiting patiently for the next customer. Allen and Rabi trotted up to him, both panting and short of breath. Jerry arched an eyebrow at them and asked mischievously, "Oh? Why are you two lovely boys so sweaty and short of breath? Doing naughty things?"

The hired help peeked past his boss, hiding partially behind a wet pan and a washrag. His eyes landed on Rabi and he muttered, "They better not…" The owner of the cafeteria gave him a curious look, which instantly made the man resume his dishwashing.

Allen shook his head and put his hands on the counter, standing on the tips of his toes in an attempt to see who the speaker had been. "Nothing like that, Jerry. We just came to see the hired help!" He smiled sweetly, as only Allen Walker could, the action making Jerry blush and nearly giggle. "Can we see them?" Rabi rolled his eye at the cook's day-dreamy expression and put his hands behind his head, waiting tolerantly for the newcomer to be seen.

"Of course!" Jerry stated happily, turning around and grabbing his dishwasher by the shoulders and moving so the two young Exorcists could see him. Allen's jaw dropped and Rabi simply got a look on his face that was a mixture of shock, amusement and confusion, as if he wasn't sure what to feel.

Tiki, in his White form, waved at them lazily, his glasses fogged from steam and a pink bandana keeping his thick, wavy hair from getting into his eyes. He was unshaven, just as the two remembered, and dressed in a loose white shirt and jeans under a pastel pink apron that had a bright pink rabbit on it and the words, 'Hunny love' above the cute rabbit face. "Konnichiwa." He smiled tiredly at them, and while Rabi couldn't see them, he knew the man's eyes were on him.

After a moment more of un-noticed silence, Rabi was the one to break it. He put a hand to his mouth and turned away, his shoulders shaking for a moment, and before long, he was unable to contain his laughter any longer. He doubled over, and a second later Allen had joined him. They weren't really sure which was funnier: the fact that one of the most powerful Noah, Tiki Mick, was a dish-washer working under a man who made even the gayest man feel masculine, or the fact that he was in a pink apron and not at all embarrassed. So, to make things even, they laughed at both.

Jerry gave the two an odd look, as if he wasn't sure what it was that was causing them to laugh so hard. Tiki, however, knew what it was and grinned. _I think this get-up is embarrassing…which it is, but at least it makes Bunny-chan happy._ He inwardly muttered, watching as the red haired Exorcist calmed and rubbed tears from his eye.

"Um…" Rabi coughed a bit and held out his hand, suppressing a snicker. "N-nice to meet ya, Mr. New-Cook."

Tiki accepted the hand, bowing and brushing his lips lightly across the teen's knuckles as he purred in a voice like silk, unlike the stubble on his chin, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Exorcist." Rabi blushed, his cheeks almost as red as his hair as he pulled his hand slowly from the man's wet hands, ignoring the soap bubbles that clung to his palm and fingers.

"It's, uh, R-Rabi." The teen said, smiling.

"A-Allen Walker." The white haired Exorcist snickered, trying to be polite.

"Um…erm…" Tiki struggled to remember the name he had given Jerry, but to the gay man, his expression of worry was one of nervousness and he piped up, smiling at the display of "crushing boys."

"His name is Neo."

_Neo?_ Both Exorcists thought at the same time, giving the man a, 'what the hell' look, but they said nothing, simply resumed smiling and nodded as if they accepted it. Rabi would have to ask the Noah about that horribly American name later, but realized it was probably taken from a movie or a book that Tiki liked, so decided it would be better to leave it alone.

Rabi opened his mouth to speak, but was cut short by a very familiar, and very annoyed, voice from behind him. "What the hell's going on?" Both friends twitched involuntarily and looked at the owner of the voice with looks of irritation. Kanda glared at the two, his arms crossed across his chest and his expression one of anger. As expected, of course. Instead of starting a fight, Allen spoke, forcing a smile. "It's nothing, Kanda. We were just moving. Right?" Rabi grinned and nodded.

"Yup!" The teen said, giving the annoyed Exorcist the grin that usually succeeded in getting him threatened. Eye twitching, Kanda lowered a hand toward the hilt of his sword, Mugen, as if giving the bothersome redhead a silent warning. Quickly, before the short-tempered man could draw his blade, Rabi squeaked, holding up his hands defensively, "Dude! Chill out! I was just agreeing with Moyashi-chan!"

Tiki raised an eyebrow at the situation, wondering just how screwed up the rest of the Black Order was if one of their own was willing to kill someone that was still on their team for grinning at them. As if sensing the Noah's question, Jerry spoke in a whisper, watching as Rabi and Allen retreated from the soon-to-be messy state of affairs. "Kanda-san is a little…on the PMSing side…"

"Ah. I see. Well!" Tiki smiled cheerfully. "I have to go back to work! Nice meeting you, Bunny-chan!"

Rabi gave him a dirty look, blushing a bit as he retorted, "D-don't call me that!"

Kanda rolled his eyes at the display and glared at Jerry as he ordered his usual: Soba noodles and tempura. Nodding, the cook ran to cook the meal, leaving Tiki and Kanda alone. The swordsman eyed the Noah for a moment before asking darkly, his tone making even Tiki shudder, "Who are you?"

The man rubbed the back of his head and replied carefully, worried that the teen would lunge across the counter and force him to reveal who he was. "Um…the hired help?"

The young man's eyes narrowed as he spat, "That _isn't_ what I asked. _Who_ are you?"

"Oh…uh, my name?" Tiki smiled nervously. "Neo. Why?"

Kanda frowned at the man for a while before saying, his words almost making the man drop the plate he was holding, "If I see you within ten feet of that idiot Rabi, I'll kill you." Tiki stared at the Exorcist in shock, trying to decide if he was serious or not. Luckily, he didn't have to worry about getting stabbed for being too quiet, as Jerry soon joined them and slid the tray over to the teen.

The swordsman snatched the tray away and left, leaving Tiki to stare at the spot the Exorcist had been standing. His boss, noticing the man's worry, asked kindly, putting a hand on his helper's shoulder, "Neo? Are you okay?"

Shaking his head, Tiki inquired, "What's Kanda-sama's relationship with Rabi-san?" The man blinked and got a thoughtful look on his face. Several minutes passed before Jerry spoke, and even then, he chose his words carefully, as if he were afraid the walls had ears.

"Well…" he started, glancing around to make sure no one was around to hear him. As an extra precaution, he leaned close and cupped his hands around Tiki's ear, whispering, "I have heard…rumors that Kanda-san and Rabi-san had a fling a while ago, but they haven't had any contact like _that_ since last year." The Noah nodded slowly and thanked him before turning away and resuming his job, a troubled look on his face.

This was certainly something he hadn't expected. Now that he found out about Rabi's past relationship and met the disgruntled ex, things were going to be difficult. _I can't blame him, really._ Tiki reasoned, smiling lightly. _We haven't had time to talk at all, really. And an ex is something that doesn't come up in normal conversation, so I should leave the past as just that. The past…Besides…_he nearly giggled. _Now that I'm here, I can see Bunny-chan whenever I please!_ Calmer and in a slightly better mood, he began to hum happily.

- - - - - - -

Later that day, Rabi paced outside of the cafeteria, wearing the outfit from earlier, and wringing his headband in his hands nervously. He had finally gathered enough nerve to ask Tiki if he wanted a tour of the Black Order and the man, as expected, accepted happily. Luckily, no one saw the small display of affection that followed, and the thought made Rabi blush and rub his ear lightly, smiling softly at the memory of Tiki's lips on it and his breath against his cheek.

He paused and leaned his head against the wall, sighing, "I'm such a schoolgirl, it's sad."

"Alright then, schoolgirl. Tell me what's going on?" Rabi jumped slightly at the sound of the voice that he knew could belong to only one Exorcist that he knew. He sighed again, this time to calm himself, and turned to face the speaker, plastering a grin on his face.

"Hey, Yuu-chan!" He said cheerfully, acting as if the other Exorcist hadn't startled him. Kanda glared at him, his arms crossed once more, looking the taller boy over slowly, as if memorizing every curve of his body. Shifting uncomfortably under the other male's gaze, he rubbed his neck and asked, "Uh…what is it that ya need?"

"Just some information." Kanda took a few steps closer to Rabi, placing a hand on the wall beside the boy's head and leaning close. Rabi turned his head away and pressed himself against the warm stone behind him as if trying to fall through it. "You know that man, Neo, correct?" Slowly, the red haired teen nodded, refusing to look at the other male and acknowledge his closeness. "How?"

"We met today. Of course I know him." Rabi said coolly, suppressing a shudder. Kanda's voice was colder then usual and filled with what could only be bitter jealousy. "Why're you so damn jealous, Yuu-chan?" He risked asking, daring to look the other boy in the eye. "We've been separated for a year now. What's it matter?"

He flinched when the Exorcist slammed his other hand on the wall on the other side of his head and closed the distance between their faces quickly. His lips hovered over Rabi's as he whispered, his voice soft, yet harsh and biting, "If we broke up, then I didn't know, Rabi. What about last month? Separated people don't fuck for hours."

The other male cringed and looked away, his expression shamed. "It was…just one night. I-I was lonely…" He knew he sounded meek and frightened, but couldn't help it. Any moment now, Tiki would exit the cafeteria and see the situation, but he knew the man would get the wrong impression. He had to end this conversation now. "Kanda," He said, the rarely used name startling the other male. "Get away from me. I don't want your shit right now…"

Growling, Kanda grabbed the other Exorcist's chin and turned his face toward his roughly. Before Rabi could protest, Kanda had grabbed the boy's right arm and pinned it against the wall as he pressed his lips firmly against his ex-lover's parted ones.

Rabi let out a startled yelp, pushing against Kanda's chest with his free hand as hard as he could, wanting to escape and hide where none could find him. The other male's lips were hot and moist, crushing painfully against his until Rabi was certain the forced kiss would bruise and leave a nasty reminder of the encounter. He winced when the Exorcist's fingers dug into his chin forcefully.

Tears welled in Rabi's good eye when he heard the door to the cafeteria open and let out a small sob, knowing who had just exited the room and what was about to happen. He heard silence for a long while, and then soft footsteps leading away from them and it was then that Kanda released the kiss and backed away from Rabi, rubbing his mouth with the back of his hand.

Wordlessly, Kanda left. Rabi looked down the opposite hall and covered his aching mouth with a hand, watching Tiki round a corner silently. Another whimper escaped Rabi's lips as he dropped to a seated position, shaking violently. "Tiki…" He choked, leaning against the wall and sobbing quietly into his hands.

**A/N –** Damn…Kanda…was such a bastard. Accidentally, mind you. Honestly. Um…damn. How will Tiki and Rabi's seemingly broken relationship mend itself after THAT!? Guess you'll just have to wait and see. Luckily, this is another two-chapter! Mwahaha! Ahem. Anyway, please keep reading!

Tiki: I was in very little of this…

Rabi: I was SO not uke to Kanda!

Yes. Yes, you were.

Rabi: Damn it!


	8. Bittersweet pt 2

Bittersweet Part 2

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

Tiki played with his hair mindlessly, staring at the ceiling with half-lidded eyes. He was still in his White form, not comfortable returning to his natural form while in the Black Order. However, things were still far from okay. _Rabi…_He closed his eyes and sighed, sitting up from his place on the bed and looking at the closed door that led to the hallway.

It had been five hours since the scene he had been an accidental witness to, and he had, as anyone would be, been terribly upset, but now a feeling he was beginning to get used to had begun to settle in the pit of his stomach like a brick. Guilt. _I should've stayed to get the full story._ He wrinkled his nose when he caught a glimpse of his reflection in a mirror and stuck his tongue out at it irritably. "I acted like one of those pissy boyfriends from a soap opera."

Slowly, he dragged himself to his feet and rubbed his neck slightly as he tried to figure out what he should do now that he was feeling terribly ill and very, very annoyed. He jumped when someone knocked on the door and, worriedly, he edged over to it and pulled the oak door open, expecting to see one of Rabi's friends. The first thing he saw, was a single, sad green eye and bright red hair that fell limply about the boy's face lifelessly.

They stared at each other for a long while before Tiki coughed and asked softly, wishing he had thought harder about what he was going to say, "Um…wanna come in?" Wordlessly, Rabi nodded and waited until Tiki had moved out of the doorway before entering the bare room silently, wringing his hands nervously. Quietly, Tiki closed the door and leaned against it, watching the boy's every movement.

They remained silent for what felt like an eternity, but were mere minutes, and, finally, Rabi spoke, his voice shaking and tears once more threatening to choke him. "Tiki…what happened earlier…it…it wasn't…" he drew a small breath and looked up at Tiki, tears once falling freely from his eye and staining his still-damp cheek. "It was—" He froze when Tiki moved forward and kissed him gently, his eyes closed as he let himself revert to his Black form so the kiss was comfortable and uninterrupted by the unshaven stubble on his White form's chin.

Slowly, Rabi let his eye close and sunk against the Noah, looping his arms around the man's neck and sighing softly in the loving kiss. Tiki slid his arms around the boy's waist and pulled him close, one hand stroking his back lightly. The kiss was broken for a moment as Tiki whispered, smiling kindly at his love, "I know. I'm still a little sore, but I think there's something you can do to make me feel better." Rabi gave him a confused look as the man leaned down and whispered, his lips brushing the Exorcist's ear, "All I want is for you to stay with me."

"Even after…" Rabi trailed off, staring at the man with a look of confusion on his face, his cheeks a pale shade of pink. The Noah smiled and nodded. Rabi laughed and shook his head, hugging the man and burying his face in the man's chest, tears brimming his tightly closed eye, smiling when he felt Tiki wrap his arms around him. "I can't believe you used to be _evil_!" Tiki blinked.

"Eh? Am I not evil enough?" He kissed the top of Rabi's head and asked, stroking his hair affectionately, "If I raped you, would I be evil then?" His tone was playful

Blushing, the Exorcist replied with a soft, "Can't rape the willing, can ya?" It was Tiki's turn to laugh now, the man's laughter soothing and kind, a contrast to the rest of his family. At the thought of Tiki's family, Rabi's smile faded as he inquired, clutching the back of the man's white button-up shirt, "Tiki? How can we defeat Rhodes?" Tiki's laughter diminished and his expression of joy was replaced by a somber grimace. "I mean…not even Innocence can kill her. It can hurt her, but killing her…" The man shook his head, placing a finger on the human's lips.

"Shh…" the Noah whispered, sliding the hand to lift the boy's bangs before kissing his forehead. "This is our time to relax. Don't bring up business while we're making up…please?" He gave Rabi a tired look, as if he didn't want to think about the problem right then. Nodding, Rabi rested his cheek against Tiki's chest once more, going silent.

They stood there, enjoying each other's warmth for several minutes before Tiki leaned down and lifted the boy into his arms, flopping onto the bed and snuggling against him. Rabi looked at the man, watching him bury his face in the Exorcist's shirt and smile as he listened to the teen's steady heartbeat.

They both jumped when someone knocked on the door and Tiki quickly changed back to his White form, grabbing his glasses from the nearby nightstand and sitting up as he called, "C-come in!"

Allen poked his head into the room, smiling when he saw Rabi sit up from behind the man, who was fighting awkwardly with a lighter and a cigarette. "I figured you'd be here." The younger Exorcist said to his friend, who blushed brightly.

"What's that mean?!"

Allen laughed and slipped into the room, closing the door behind him. "Nothing at all!" He pulled Timcanpy out of his jacket pocket and held it out. "Okay, Timcanpy. Show them the message!"

The golem rifted over to Rabi and Tiki, settling on the nightstand and opening its mouth wide, exposing sharp, widely spaced teeth. Tiki gave it a nervous look, as if he were expecting it to suddenly attack him. A small light flickered in its mouth before taking the form of a circular "screen." Rabi smacked his forehead when he saw who was on the screen and groaned in annoyance.

Komui smiled at them happily and shouted, Jerry standing behind him holding River in a headlock to keep him from leaving, "Rabi-chaaaaaaaaaaaan! I heard from Jerry about your crush! Kawaaaaaaaaaii!" River groaned and rolled his eyes, once more trying to escape the death-grip the cook had on him. "I'm SO glad you found love after a harsh and terrible road!"

The red haired Exorcist buried his face in Tiki's pillow, just wanting to die. Now that Komui knew, EVERYONE else would know and by tomorrow, he and "Neo" would be in childish songs involving trees, kissing and babies. Tiki's cheeks turned a light shade of pink, ceasing to fiddle with his lighter, staring at the image of the three men. He looked at Allen and asked, pointing at Komui, "He does realize he can just say this to our faces, right?"

Allen laughed nervously. "Apparently Rabi did a number on him and he wants to avoid getting killed." Tiki gave the flustered teen behind him a curious look.

"Don't ask…" Rabi mumbled, smacking Timcanpy to get it stop the clip. He sat up on his arms and looked between Tiki and Allen, his cheeks still red. "So…what now, guys? I mean, I am NOT going into those halls for, like, a week."

Tiki raised his eyebrows suggestively, leaning down to nuzzle the boy's ear, capturing it with his lips and sucking lightly. "I can think of _many_ things we can do, Bunny-chan…" Allen blushed a bit and looked away from the two, stifling his laughter when he heard the sound of someone – Tiki more likely – hitting the ground, followed by Rabi calling him a pervert.

Allen glanced out the nearby window and smiled, tuning out Rabi's laughter and Tiki's teasing. _This is going to be a very long journey…especially for these two._ He glanced at the two, laughing lightly and shaking his head at the scene. Tiki was sitting on the floor, his legs on the bed, holding Rabi against him and letting his lithe fingers dance across the teen's most ticklish spots lightly. The boy squirmed in his lap, laughing and trying half-heartedly to escape while the man smiled at him and continued his "torture."

Waving at them, Allen picked up Timcanpy and left, closing the door behind him.

-Owari

**A/N -** Cute, huh?

Sorry if it took me so long to get this thing out to you guys. I've been super busy with everything that's goin' on in my life and my computer's been acting really weird lately…I hope I don't have to get a new one…those bastards are expensive and I'm broke! As usual. Maybe I could rent a laptop from Rent-One? Eh. Who knows?

Anyway, ending notes for this story? Well…I was having trouble deciding on what I wanted to happen at the end of this chapter. I was torn between this ending and a nice scene that would get this story rated with a big, fat M. In the end, I'm pretty sure you know which ending I chose.

- I worship all of you, my wonderful fans!


	9. Fears

**Summery:** Sequel to _Bittersweet_. A moment of peace falls over the Black Order and Rabi and Tiki have a chance to some peace and quiet while Kanda's on a mission. Just when things start heating up, they're interrupted by Komui and Tiki is taken to Hevlaska and Rabi is given the hardest choice of all when Tiki's Noah heritage is revealed! TikiRabi

Rated 'T' for language, angst, slight yaoi, shounen-ai and Rabi torment.

I don't own D.Gray-Man or its characters!

**A/N: **Sorry! Sorry it took me so long to throw this up for all of you to read! Writer's block SUCKS! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Fears 

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

He tried to stop it, really he did, but there's something about warm hands teasing you that just kind of makes your brain, well, die. Rabi was in heaven, Tiki's lips pressed against his neck and leaving deep red marks in his wake while his hands caressed his bare chest lovingly. Another moan escaped his lips and he felt Tiki smirk, then shuddered when he felt teeth graze his neck before biting down lightly.

Rabi smiled, running his hands through the Noah's once properly brushed black hair as the older male sucked on the abused skin roughly. _Am I a masochist or is it just him?_ He wondered silently, enjoying even the bruising kisses and nips that drew blood on occasion as well as the firm hands that pressed against his tight pants.

Tiki raised his head slightly and purred, licking up the redhead's ear, a sadistic smirk on his lips, "Enjoying yourself, Bunny-chan…?" The Exorcist nodded numbly, inwardly wincing in slight pain. The Noah seemed to notice and kissed the bite mark lightly as he mumbled apologetically, "Sorry, Bunny-chan…but you make me wanna abuse you…especially when you moan like that…"

Rabi chuckled, hugging Tiki close and whispered breathlessly, cheeks flushed and hair sticking to his forehead and brushing his eye patch lightly, "I like it, actually. Just don't hurt me too bad. I wanna be able to fight if I have to." The dark haired man chuckled lightly, kissing his lover's lips lightly. Their tongues touched and the kiss was deepened, Tiki pressing the smaller male against the bed as he began working off his own shirt.

They jolted when they heard a knock at the door, followed by Komui's voice. "Rabi-chan! Is Neo in there with you?"

Rabi growled and imagined beating the nosy scientist's head in with a gavel, and he could tell from the way Tiki's eyebrow was twitching he probably wanted to kill him in a more colorful and creative way. Slowly breaking the kiss, Tiki sighed and sat up, slipping back into his White form and fixing his clothing. "Yes…I'm here." He said dejectedly, pulling Rabi up and fixing his half-undone pants and slid on the teen's shirt.

They could feel Komui's smile. "Ah! Good, good! Anyway, could you and Rabi please join me at Hevlaska's please?" Rabi paled, his single emerald eye widening in horror. Tiki blinked, not even really sure who this Hevlaska was, but judging from his lover's expression it wasn't someone he wanted to meet.

"Ano…I don't feel very well, really." Tiki lied quickly.

"Don't worry, we're just testing to see if you, my dear friend, could have an Innocence!"

Rabi bit his lip. It would be weird if he said that Tiki couldn't, as he was supposed to help them find compatible people for the Innocence. He had met Hevlaska. She could see EVERYTHING about the person and the thought of her finding out about Tiki's race…he couldn't even begin to think about it. He glanced at the Noah and was unnerved to see that the man was suddenly on edge, looked around as if he were trying to find a way to escape.

"Erm…" Rabi started, trying to figure out a quick excuse.

"Good! C'mon!" He heard Komui chirp happily. He looked at Tiki and swallowed hard. The older man stood and took a small breath before smiling at the redhead, the younger male returning the gesture weakly. Silently, the two left the room, their hands entangled as if never to let go and Komui giggled like an insane schoolgirl, leading the way giddily to the elevator.

The scientist chattered at the two, oblivious to their nervousness or worried glances. Tiki smiled gently and mouthed, leaning down and nuzzling Rabi's covered neck lovingly, "Don't worry…if she finds out…I'll run." Rabi nodded slowly, unable to talk for fear of breaking down into tears and this was the first time he was glad for his Bookman training.

Upon reaching the bottom floor, Komui glanced back at them, a small and kind smile on his face as he noticed Rabi's nervousness and Tiki's attempts to calm him. "Don't worry. She won't hurt him."

The teen nodded meekly once more, following after the scientist, the Noah giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.

The room they entered seemed to consist of nothing but darkness, and a lit, metal platform that was connected to where the elevator landed by a lengthily bridge. Tiki looked around, a curious look on his face as he tried to figure out just where this Hevlaska was located. He blinked when he felt Rabi's hand leave his and glanced back at the redhead, noting the look of sick worry that graced the boy's normally cheerful face.

"_So this is Neo…_" A woman's voice sounded from the darkness as wisps of white tentacles rose from the darkness, followed closely by one of the most startling sights even Tiki had seen and he realized then why Rabi looked for worried about him. He felt as if she could see right through him and it took quite a bit of willpower to avoid going Noah to flee before things got nasty. The softly glowing tentacles slithered around his waist and limbs, lifting him from the ground despite his frantic struggles. She made a crooning sound, as if trying to calm him, before resting her forehead against his.

The moment contact was made, all of his panic and fear vanished, replaced by serenity. He could see the faint glow of…something touching him, and he felt as if he were about to fall asleep before she jerked away and nearly dropped him, jolting him back to reality.

Komui frowned. _That's never happened before…_He glanced at Rabi and his frown deepened when he realized the teen looked as if he were about to throw up, a hand on his stomach and the other over his mouth. _What…does he know?_

"_This…cannot be…_" Hevlaska whispered, turning her head in Rabi's direction. With speed that Tiki didn't think possible of someone so huge, she bent down, her forehead touching Rabi's. The teen's expression changed to a sort of dazed one and they stayed like that for a long while before she pulled away and set Tiki down, the man staggering for a moment before wrapping Rabi in his arms and holding him close.

"What's wrong?" Komui asked nervously. The living Innocence stared at the Noah and Exorcist, disbelieving of what she had seen.

She saw everything their hearts held and caught a glimpse of something she had never though possible. She started to speak, but was cut short by Rabi as the teen yelped, panic in his voice, "Don't say anything! Please! Hevlaska!" Hevlaska shifted her attention to Komui and asked him kindly if he could leave them for a moment and it took nearly ten minutes for her to convince the doctor to leave.

Once he had, she spoke, her tone never taking an edge, as if she were a mother talking to her child. "_Rabi…you know what he is…he is a Noah, our enemy…_" Rabi shook his head, feeling like a lost child and it was the firm embrace that his lover had him in that kept him from breaking down at that very moment. She continued to speak, acting as if she hadn't seen the terror in the boy's eye. "_You're still but a child…you cannot_…"

"Like hell I can't!" He yelled, startling Tiki. "My Innocence…my Innocence has accepted him! If it hadn't, I would be a Togaochi!" She was silent, unable to argue with his logic. His Innocence had, indeed, accepted the fact that it's owner was in love with a Noah and hadn't even put up a fight against it. It was silent, not even stirring in mild protest at their union. "I love him! I really, really do! He's the only thing keeping me from losing my damn mind! I don't…" He closed his eye tightly, tears clinging to his eyelashes. "I don't want…my heart to die again! Not now!"

Tiki kissed Rabi's cheek and whispered soothing words, hoping to calm the boy before he said too much. Hevlaska was silent, studying the two.

Finally, she spoke, her tone gentle, yet firm. "_I will…keep his secret_." Rabi opened his eye and stared at her, Tiki blinking at her as if she were about to start shooting lasers at them. "_However_," She added. "_If he should harm a single human here, I will tell Komui and his execution will be ordered._"

Rabi swallowed hard. Tiki was silent for a moment before speaking for the first time since they had arrived. "If I were going to kill someone, wouldn't I have already done it?" She made a small chuckling noise, but it was humorless.

"_You may go…_" Quickly, the two left.

Komui returned a few minutes later, walking briskly to the living Innocence. "Is he…" She nodded and the doctor glanced at the elevator, his expression serious for a chance.

"_The road ahead of them is harsh,_" She said calmly. "_But I feel…it is with the union of a Noah and an Exorcist that this war will be won_…" Komui nodded, smiling softly as he looked up at the ceiling.

"Then Rabi…"

"_Yes…he is the Key_."

Komui sighed and lowered his gaze, a worried look on his face. "And that Noah is the Catalyst. Lets just hope that this time…" He closed his eyes and heaved a great sigh. "The love between a Noah and Exorcist ends well."

Owari

**A/N: **Woo! Had you guys all worried and stuff, huh? And what exactly is this Key and Catalyst stuff? And HOW did Komui know? All this and more will be discovered…at a later time. I hope you guys enjoyed it, and please Read and Review! Reviews make me write more, you know.

**Rabi:** What?! I'm not gonna die, am I?!

**Tiki:** I hope not…


	10. SORRY!

**BLARGH! **

Forgive my fans, for my computer has died a horrible, mother-board crashing death. sobs But, have no fear! I have NOT forgotten my story and I will continue! In fact, as I'm writing this, my Muse is literally flinging ideas at me. I hope to have the next chapter up eventually. Hopefully sometime next week. Even if I have to mug my friend, Nova, for her internet access.

Until then, please keep an eye out, because, as a bonus for me being INCEDIBLLY late, I'm posting an extra chapter! And maybe even some cover art on Deviant art. Maybe. I'll work hard for all of you though!

JA NE!

Ichigo


	11. Truth

**Summary** Sequel to _Fears_. Rabi, Allen, Rinali and Tiki are sent to town for supplies by Komui when they run into General Cross and a frightening story unfolds when Cross realizes just who – and what – Tiki is. The story of the Noah who loved an Exorcist comes to light and the truth about Rabi comes out, shocking everyone. TikiRabi

**A/N – **YAY! I finally updated! I bet that's what all of you are thinking. Sorry, sorry. Life got in the way, and every other idea I came up with sounded like crap, so I always wound up deleting them. At least my muse is back from vacation and ready to help me write more of my beloved TikiRabi story! Well, I hope you enjoy it.

I DON'T OWN D.GRAY-MAN OR ITS CHARACTERS!

This story is rated T for language, shounen-ai, a thickening plot and Cross's dirty mouth.

Enjoy!

**Truth**

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

Rabi was glad to be out of the Black Order, even if it was just to pick up a book for the crazy scientist. Granted, he would have been much happier if it was just him and Tiki instead of himself, Tiki, Allen and Rinali, though he could understand why. Rhodes, the other Noah and the Earl were after him, and he doubted he and Tiki would be able to handle all of their enemies at once, alone.

Tiki nudged Rabi out of his daydream and smiled, pointing at a small café as he said happily, "That's where all this started." The redhead smiled in response and nodded. It was hard to believe that just a month or two ago, the two had been bitter enemies and now here they were, Noah and Exorcists working side-by-side. Had Tiki not been in his White form, Rabi and Allen had both agreed that Rinali probably would have attacked him. The man smiled and wrapped his fingers around the shorter boy's, tugging down the hood of his heavy winter coat to let the snow brush his cheeks and rest on his dark unruly hair.

Rinali smiled, watching the Bookman trainee look away, cheeks as red as his hair. She gave Allen a cheerful look and clasped her hands behind her back. "Those two are cute together, ne?" Allen laughed nervously, averting his gaze and rubbing the side of his neck.

_She wouldn't be thinking that if she knew what "Neo" was…_He thought, suppressing a shudder and trying not to think about it. The four, led by Tiki and Rabi, entered the warm and cozy-looking café and claimed a table by one of the back windows. A waitress sauntered over to the table, smiling at Tiki, oblivious to the dirty look Rabi was shooting her.

"What can ah git ya, sirs an' ma'am?" She asked in a southern accent. Rabi muttered what could have been either a 'something Irish' or something very rude that made Rinali almost laugh out loud. Tiki gave the redhead a mock-shocked look.

"Bunny-chan, tsk!" The Noah adjusted his glasses and nuzzled Rabi's cheek, making the waitress realize she had been flirting with a taken man. A _gay_ taken man at that. Quickly, she took their orders and scurried away, shaking her head and muttering something about every good man being taken or gay. Tiki laughed lightly and leaned back in his seat, stretching. "So jealous." He teased. Rabi scowled at him, and then grinned, looking rather proud of himself.

Rinali rested her arms on her table and eyed the two lovers curiously. "So…how long have you two been a couple?" The three males paused and exchanged nervous looks before Tiki spoke smoothly, digging a cigarette from his pocket and fumbling with his lighter.

"Just a week or so…" She nodded, accepting the answer without any questions. The man sighed in frustration and put his cheek in his hand, sulking because his lighter was out of fluid. A gloved hand was suddenly in front of him, a lighter in the hand, flame lit. Tiki grinned and eagerly lit his cigarette, turning to thank whoever had given him the light, but his words died in his throat.

Rabi blinked, looking over to see what was wrong, as did Allen and Rinali and they then knew why. All the color drained out of Allen's face and he looked like he was ready to either bolt to pass out as he gasped, "M-m-master?!" Rabi twitched and Rinali smiled brightly. General Cross flicked the lighter closed and scanned the group, noting the look of terror that crossed the males' faces before putting his hands on the table and speaking, his tone amused.

"Nice to see you again, Allen." Rinali squeaked when Allen scrambled out of the chair and ducked behind her, hugging his knees close and mumbling something about wanting to just go back to the Black Order. Cross's gaze fell on Rabi and for a moment, a flicker of recognition crossed his face. He was silent for a moment before looking at Tiki and his expression became one of irritation. Claiming Allen's abandoned seat and propping his feet on the table (much to Tiki's irritation, as he was seated right across from him), Cross folded his arms across his chest and eyed the redhead and Noah.

Rinali gave the General a confused look, following his gaze. "Um…is something wrong, General?" He frowned and pointed at Tiki, ignoring the female Exorcist completely.

"You." Tiki jumped, almost dropping his cigarette. The older man shifted his attention to Rabi. "And you." Rabi swallowed hard, not sure what to expect. "Names." Tiki answered for them, pointing to Rabi, then himself. Cross gave the dark haired man a skeptical look. "Neo." Tiki nodded quickly, probably a bit too fast, as Cross was on his feet and holding the man against the wall with his foot within half a heartbeat, his gun aimed at the Noah's head. "Real name. Now."

Rabi stood and pointed his own Anti-Akuma weapon at Cross and growled, emerald eye narrowed, "Get away from him, or so help me, General or not, I'll kill you." Allen and Rinali stared at Rabi as if he were insane, while Cross eyed the boy coldly for a moment before growling and stepping away from Tiki. The redhead dropped his weapon and checked Tiki over, expression concerned.

"So…" Everyone looked at Cross as he lit his own cigarette and put it to his lips, closing his visible eye and taking a deep breath, releasing it with a puff of smoke. "It's happening again. A forbidden love." Rabi and Tiki tensed, staring at the older male in horror. The female Exorcist stood and asked softly what he meant, unsure of what to think. The General looked at the curious onlookers around them and snapped, "EVERYBODY OUT!" and fired a shot through the ceiling. Naturally, this made everyone (Allen almost fled as well, but Rinali and Rabi managed to keep him back) flee, leaving them alone in the now-empty café.

He turned his attention back to the younger Exorcists and the Noah. "The Forbidden love between Exorcist and Noah." Rinali gasped and looked at Tiki sharply, eyes wide. She glanced at Rabi and couldn't keep the look of betrayal from her face as the redhead hugged Tiki's neck and bowed his head, ashamed. She started forward, pausing when Allen grabbed her arm, his own head lowered in shame.

"Allen-kun…you knew?" She gasped. He nodded slowly.

"Komui does too." Tiki whispered. "As does Hevlaska." She looked between her friends, hurt that they hadn't told her anything of it. Cross, as the four conversed, closed the blinds on the windows. Tiki sighed and stood, going Dark. Rinali was struck mute for a moment, staring at the man she had watched, via Timcampy, try to kill Allen. He placed his top hat on the table and rubbed the back of his neck, sighing.

Cross turned back to them and spoke, interrupting what would have been a rather nasty fight had Allen and Rabi been unable to stop Rinali. "Sit down, all of you." Allen obeyed instantly, sitting with his back straight and gaze straight ahead. Slowly, the others followed suit, Rabi grabbing Tiki's hand and watching Rinali nervously. The older redhead sat on the table beside theirs and crossed his legs and arms, eyeing the younger Exorcists. "Now pay attention, and listen good, because I'm not repeating anything."

Everyone turned in their seats to listen, the Bookman trainee and Noah glad Rinali's attention had been shifted for the moment. "Rabi, 'Neo'…" Rabi sighed.

"I…it's…Tiki." Cross nodded in acknowledgement.

"Tiki. All of you can understand the reasons an Exorcist and Noah can't be together. The Innocence is weak against the Noah, as the Noah is to the Innocence; one works to destroy the world, the other to save it. But there's another reason, but to understand that, you'll have to know the whole story."

He laced his fingers together and rested his hands on his lap and continued. "Years ago, when the Earl first became active in this lifetime, an Exorcist and Noah fell in love. No one knows how, when or even how long they were. All anyone knows is that the two broke their respective groups' trusts and bore a child. It was an unholy union, and the child was to be killed by either the Noah or Exorcists, whichever got to it first." Rabi frowned and spoke up, remembering an old story he had heard involving an "unholy union" between angel and devil.

"This…sounds like the story Panda-jiji told me about the angel and devil that fell in love. Legends said that the child of such an amalgamation would be of neither race, and would bring about what was called the True End." Cross nodded, impressed with the boy's knowledge.

"Close. Different races, same reason. The True End is the end of everything; nothing will be left." Everyone remained silent, listening attentively to the General. "The child of a Noah and Exorcist, should they fall in love, and their lover becomes a Togaochi for loving something with Noah blood or, if the lover is a Noah, Awakens."

Allen raised his hand and inquired nervously, "Um…A…awakens?"

Cross glared at him for a moment before answering. "That is when the Noah's true nature is released and their soul and mind die. This triggers the Noah blood in the half-breed and unless the Noah is returned to their human state, this will bring about the True End foretold." Rabi scowled and crossed his arms. What any of this had to do with him and Tiki, he had no idea, as neither could have children…

Suddenly, something in the redhead's brain clicked and he fell out of his seat, eye wide in horror. His friends were by his side within seconds, checking to see if he was alright. Slowly, he looked at Cross, praying he was wrong, but all he saw was the bitter and harsh truth.

"I…I'm h-half…Noah?" Was all Rabi could manage.

_Owari_

**A/N –** Bwahahahaha! I bet none of you saw that one coming! Don't worry, kiddies! More surprises are ahead and I will accept any ideas you guys throw at me! Just don't post them as reviews, or everyone might see the ideas I may use in later chapters, and that's no fun! So, if you have any ideas or questions, please email me at dark hero axel 24 at yahoo dot com! Remove the spaces.

Rabi: -traumatized-

Tiki: . . . Seriously?

-Shrug- It was a spontaneous choice for this. I thought it would make things more fun. –Grin-


	12. Shadows

**Summary: **Sequel to _Truth_. After discovering the truth of his heritage, strange and frightening dreams start haunting our favorite Bookman-trainee and he's confronted by…himself? Faced with every one of his fears, can Rabi really come through this mess with his sanity in tact? And what's wrong with his injured eye…? TikiRabi

**A/N -** Sorry to have cut you guys off like that last time. But, man, your reactions were great and I am SO glad most of you never saw this coming. No one can tell just how long this story will go on, but I hope that you guys keep reading it all the way to the end! Truthfully, this is the first and only story I've written that's lasted for this long! Praise me! Please? I like praise.

Of course, you know what I'd like the most? A cute picture of Tiki and Rabi snuggling. -Sigh- So, if anyone can draw (or you happen to find one), I'd be eternally grateful and I would love all of you forever. Also…JESDERO AND **DAVID** ARE GUYS! NOT GIRLS! RAWR!

Oh yeah. I DON'T OWN D.GRAY-MAN OR ITS CHARACTERS!

This story is rated T for shounen-ai, language, violence, the abuse of the second spelling of Rabi's name (Lavi) and Rabi abuse.

Enjoy!

**Shadows**

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

He couldn't stop thinking about it. All the times he had cursed the Noah, damned them for bringing such destruction to the world, felt almost sardonic now. Rabi had locked himself in his room, requesting that he be left alone until he was able to sort his thoughts and feelings out. That was a week ago.

Slowly, he shifted his gaze from his hands to his Innocence, staring at it numbly. So many times he could have become a Togaochi, but it had accepted his blood and emotions in stride and he couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, the Noah and Innocence weren't more closely related than everybody thought.

He laughed bitterly, hiding his face in his palms. "God damn it…so everything…my whole life's a lie…who I am…what I was…" He hadn't thought it possible for someone's whole world to crumble underneath their feet within a period of just a few minutes, but it had and the fall hurt more than he had expected. Hot tears burned his eye and made his throat tighten as he slammed his fist against the wall until it started bleeding, blood splattering on the stone walls in the shape of his fist.

Cradling his bleeding hand close, he stared at the blood as it rolled down his pale fingers and dripped onto the bed, staining the clean sheets with tiny droplets of crimson. _Did Tiki ever feel like this when he found out what he was? _He wondered, licking his chapped lips and wrapping his hand in his shirt.

He laid back, the sheets cool against his back and arms, cooling his nerves, allowing him to calmly assess the situation. Rubbing his eye with his uninjured hand, he sighed heavily. _Okay, Rabi. Let's think about this. This doesn't change anything. I'm still me, I still have friends, Tiki's still here and everything is just the way it was before I found out one of my parents was a Noah. I'm still an Exorcist._

Reassured, he closed his eye and finally managed to fall asleep, having been running on stress for the past week with only a few minutes of sleep at a time. He was ready (after some much needed sleep) to come out from hiding and rejoin his friends.

- - - -

Cross slowly tipped his glass, watching the wine lick at the clear sides, his cheek resting against a fist as he thought to himself. He could feel the eyes of every person in the Black Order watching him, but he didn't really give a damn. The only person he really wanted to talk to was in hiding and would probably beat him with his hammer until Cross either left or killed the redhead.

His eyes found Tiki, watching as the man sat in a corner several tables away in his White form, fingers laced together and dark eyes watching the door to the cafeteria as if hoping and praying. Cross was quiet surprised that the Noah had obeyed Rabi's request for so long, but everyone could tell it was making the man more and more nervous the longer Rabi was away.

Which was why no one was surprised that when Rabi came in, looking horribly ill, but alive nonetheless, Tiki was the first at his side, gathering the worn out boy into a tight hug and kissing him softly. Cross watched the two as they embraced, the smaller redhead slumping against Tiki and hiding his face in the man's worn shirt and sobbing softly. Straightening in his seat, Cross motioned for Allen and Rinali to join him.

After some prodding, Allen was steered over by a still-confused Rinali. Both sat across from the General, turning in their seats to watch Tiki and Rabi as the Noah crooned softly, kissing away the boy's tears and smiling reassuringly. They turned their attention back to the older redhead when he spoke, his voice calm and level. "You know what we have to do now, don't you?" The two nodded, expressions serious. "We're no longer playing in the schoolyard, kiddies. The Earl's one thing, but making sure that the Noah - Tiki Mick - doesn't Awaken is now your number one priority."

Allen nodded slowly, looking back as Rabi and Tiki grinned at each other, fingers tightly entwined. He blinked when he heard the chair across from his slide out, Cross standing and adjusting his hat. "I'm going to converse with Komui." He answered Allen's unvoiced question curtly, leaving briskly.

- - - -

Rabi grinned at Tiki and said gently, voice cracking slightly from his resent tears, rubbing the remaining ones away with the back of his hand, "I'm fine, really!" Tiki gave him a skeptical look, dark eyes knowing behind his glasses. The teen smiled lovingly, kissing the tip of the Noah's nose before falling back onto his heels, walking toward the counter to order a much-needed meal. "Man, you are _such_ a worry wart! I was just thinking, that's all."

Tiki caught Rabi's injured hand in his and sighed, giving the bruised and cut hand a dirty look. "Bunny-chan. What did I say about beating up defenseless walls? They're hard to kill with dynamite." The redhead laughed, rubbing the back of his neck as Tiki kissed the abused knuckles gently, lips barely grazing the scabbed-over wounds. "Such a masochistic little rabbit…"

Rabi grinned, blushing lightly. "Yup! That's me, Mr. Love-To-Be-Abused!" Tiki laughed and wrapped his fingers around his smaller lover, leading him back to the counter where Jerry was practically have a seizure due to how cute the two were when they were interacting.

As he passed a wall, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a misplaced mirror against the far wall and froze, his blood running cold. No one else seemed to see it, but he did and it terrified him, the boy unable to hear the people around him anymore, the only sound being the beating of his heart in his ears.

Staring back at him was, as expected, his reflection, but he knew it wasn't him. Dark skin, golden eyes and crimson hair falling limply about his face met his startled gaze. His reflection's mouth drew back into a ferial smile, expression cold and empty. And, just as quickly as it had come, it was gone and the din of the dinning hall returned.

He shook his head, looking up at the concerned gaze of Tiki, who held his shoulders gently in mid-shake. Slowly, Rabi looked back at the mirror, expecting to see his double, but was relieved when his own startled face stared back at him. He smiled weakly at the dark haired man and said shakily, wiping sweat from his face, "I-I'm fine. Let's get some food, 'kay?"

He took a step forward and felt as if the ground had suddenly collapsed under him, the redhead dropping to the ground with a startled yelp. Tiki caught the boy around the waist and held him close. Rabi could feel everyone in the dinning hall staring at him and swallowed a bit, staring at his legs as if hoping they would start working on their own. He laughed nervously, rubbing his eye with the back of his hand as he half-laughed, half-sobbed, "I…I don't think I can walk right now." He grinned weakly at the Noah, noting the man's dark eyes were wide in fear and concern.

Carefully, as if his smaller lover were a fragile statue, the Noah lifted the boy from the floor and carried him hurriedly to Komui's lab, ignoring any questions that were directed at him. He felt Rabi go limp and quickened his pace, swallowing hard. There was no denying what he saw.

_Rabi…are you so scared that it's actually quickening the process…?_ He knew no one else had seen it, but it still scared him. For a moment, less then a second, Rabi's eye had been gold and icy. Tightening his grip and breaking out into a run, Tiki practically shoved everyone out of his way to get to Komui, hoping and praying his eyes had deceived him.

The Earl's monstrous grin seemed even bigger then usual, David and Jesdero shifting a bit uncomfortably under the unseen gaze of their master. The rotund demon stood, tan coat barely able to keep shut around his round middle, the large purple button threatening to pop off and nail one of the two Noah's right between the eyes.

With a hearty laugh, the Earl spun on the tip of a toe, startling his two subordinates. David gave his brother a confused look. They had never seen the Earl so…happy. Of course, neither were really willing to test to see if it was joy or insanity that drove the Millennium Earl to dance around the large manor's foyer like a demented ballerina.

Finally, the Earl did one final spin before draping two large arms over the scrawny pair of brothers' shoulders. Both suppressed shudders, wondering if maybe he was just scaring them before he decided to kill them for their countless failures to kill General Marian Cross. Instead of threatening them or even just beating the hell out of them with his top-hat and the feather that was sticking out of it, the Earl just grinned and spoke, tone practically bubbling with glee.

"I have a mission for you two -heart-!" Both exchanged nervous looks, though David was mildly disgusted that Jesdero was simply mimicking his brother's expression dumbly. The two were squished into a bear hug and their master continued to speak. "Our Seventh Seat is almost ready to join us! -Heart-"

Rhodes stepped from the shadows, her mouth pulled back into a feral grin, golden eyes seeming to glow in the dim lighting. David looked away from her. Even if they were "siblings" in a sense, that didn't make her any less intimidating. She skipped over to the three and smiled at the Earl like a daughter to her father. "Earl-sama!" She chirped. "Does this mean we get to start the Ark soon?"

The Earl shifted, the dim lighting reflecting off his glasses and making David and Jesdero shift nervously once more. "Yes. But for now, Rhodes-chan," She perked, standing at attention like a soldier. "You and I must prepare for our 'Seventh.' David-chan, Jesdero-chan!"

"Hai, Earl-sama!" Both grinned, nervousness forgotten at the prospect of a mission.

"Take Skin-san and some Akuma to London. It's time to begin the second Act of our little game. -Heart-"

Komui sighed, leaning back in his seat and using a cloth to wipe sweat from his brow. Tiki sat beside Rabi in his White form, fingers entangled in his sleeping lover's hair. The boy had passed out hours ago, and a concerned Allen and Rinali had run off to fetch the only person who would know what to do nearly an hour ago.

The doctor removed his glasses and began cleaning them with the hem of his sweater as he said gently, "Don't worry. He'll know what to do."

Tiki hung his head, staring at the face of his cheerful little rabbit, no longer alight with a grin, but darkened with a look of pain. "Is he just scared?" The man managed to ask without sounding choked. Komui shook his head, silently saying that he didn't know.

The door to the lab opened and Allen and Rinali entered, a small old man at their heels. Bookman kept his hands in his sleeves as he walked to the sleeping trainee and brushed Tiki away, setting to work. With expert skills, the Bookman checked the boy's vitals. When his ancient fingers brushed Rabi's eye patch, the teen let out a yell of pain, jerking away.

The Noah lunged, catching the redhead before he could hit the floor and winced as Rabi struggled and fought despite his unconscious state. Allen ran over, kneeling beside the two and grabbing his friend's arms while Rinali and Komui set to sedating him. It wasn't an easy feat, as the boy was stronger than the Exorcists had expected and almost broke his arm trying to get away. No one but Tiki could seem to get close enough to the boy, and, finally, he calmed, chest heaving and tears staining his left cheek.

_I remember that pain…_Tiki resisted the urge to touch his forehead, the memories bitter and painful. Cradling Rabi close, he buried his face in the redhead's hair and prayed silently, eyes tightly closed. _Cross said this would only happen if I awakened, whatever that is. But I haven't! Why is this happening?_

Bookman's voice broke the deafening silence, his tone betraying concern for his student despite his preaching of never having attachments. "I cannot help him." Tiki, Allen and Rinali stared at him, unable to believe what they were hearing. As if reading their minds, Bookman continued, kneeling beside Rabi and touching his forehead lightly. "I am not saying I _won't_. But I _can't_ promise it will help."

With surprising strength, Bookman lifted his much taller student and left. Before the door closed behind him, the Bookman spoke, voice low. "No one disturb me. I will tell you when he's ready for visitors." And with that, he was gone, leaving everyone to stare after him in sorrow.

Komui smiled lightly when Rinali ran and hugged him, crying softly into his chest, Allen turning away partially and collapsing to a seated position beside Tiki, who simply looked numb. "Now, now…Rabi-chan will be fine. Trust me. Bookman knows what he's doing."

The three nodded, but remained quiet, the only sound being their breathing and Rinali's muffled sobs.

Rabi groaned, waking slowly. It took a while for his eyes to adjust to the pale moonlight that streamed in through his window, and when it finally did, he was surprised to see who was standing over him. "G-general?" He winced, his throat dry and voice hoarse. Cross sat on the best beside the boy and rested his elbows on his knees. He didn't look at the smaller redhead. "Why are you here? Where's Tiki…?"

The General made a vague motion to a cushioned chair at the foot of the bed. Tiki was sound asleep, head resting against his shoulder as he slept soundlessly. Rabi smiled sadly, feeling horrible for concerning the Noah so much. Of course, that didn't answer the question that was practically dancing around in his head. Why in God's name was _Cross_ there?

Cross glanced at the dazed expression on the younger Exorcist and grumbled, ruffling the boy's unruly hair. "Idiot. Don't freak out about your past." Rabi's emerald eye lowered and he looked to the window as if ashamed. He blinked when the General flicked his forehead, leaving a small red mark between his eyes. "It'll just speed things up and then we're all fucked up the ass with that hammer of yours. If it helps calm you down, picture your fuck-buddy in a bikini."

Rabi couldn't help but laugh until tears came to his eye. Hugging his stomach and rolling onto his side, he gasped out around fits of giggles, "Oh man, are you _trying_ to rupture my spleen!?" Cross smirked a bit, looking rather pleased with himself. Once Rabi had successfully calmed, he wiped his tears away and grinned. "Allen said you were a total tight-ass. You're more like the kinda guy that'd be the life of a party!"

Cross smirked again. "Not interested in the party. Just the girls at the party." Rabi's grin widened. Somber expression on his face once more, the General turned his attention to the window. "On a serious note," The younger redhead scowled, irritated that he had to put his mind back on everything that had happened. "What happened in the dinning hall?"

Rabi sighed, laying on his stomach now as he stared at the moon that hung like a scythe blade in the night sky. "I saw…myself…" Cross glanced at the boy, noting the lost look on the boy's normally cheerful face. "But it wasn't me…it was…a Noah…" He hid his face in his arms and asked quietly, voice muffled by the bed, "What's going on with me? Am I just going nuts?" He looked up when he felt a hand on top of his head. Cross wasn't looking at him, just staring out at the room as if not really even seeing it.

"Just keep it together." The General said, standing. "'Cause if you can't, then the Black Order's confidence will drop." He could feel the shocked look that crossed the boy's face and smirked, looking down at the redhead from over his shoulder. "You heard me." Ruffling his hair once more, Cross left, closing the door silently behind him.

Rabi sat up, sighing. Cross was such a weirdo, but he had to admit it. The pep talk did make him feel a lot better. Smiling softly, he crawled to the foot of the bed and laid down, watching Tiki sleep with a lazy smile on his face. The Noah, even in his unkempt White form, was handsome, and Rabi couldn't stop from grinning. _And to think such an awesome guy's interested in me. _He sat up once more and kissed Tiki's lips lightly. _We're gonna go through Hell, but at least Heaven's on the other side and once we beat the Earl, I won't have to worry about a thing. Bookman, Exorcist or Noah, I'm not gonna let anyone take my friends away._

Satisfied and finally able to fully say that he was getting over his heritage, he climbed into Tiki's lap and curled up, a content smile on his face as he drifted to a comfortable sleep.

The next few days went by in a whirlwind. Tiki and Rabi spent every waking moment together, the Noah giving Rabi support when Allen or Rinali weren't available. Cross had disappeared without a trace as expected, and Komui seemed to actually be working, which shocked everyone. River especially.

He was still unconscious as far as anyone knew.

The closer spring got, the happier Rabi seemed to be, the redhead bouncing around the Black Order as he usually did. Bookman had given him a firm talking to (and a few "Panda Matrix Face-Kicks"), but even the bumps and bruises didn't bother him.

The morning of March 2nd was one of the few times Rabi and Tiki weren't together and the redhead was practically bubbling over with energy as he made his way to the dinning hall to see his busy lover (who was filling in for Jerry, as the usual cook was out sick). He paused when he spotted Kanda and cringed. He had tried so hard to avoid seeing his angry ex, and had succeeded for almost two months. Sadly, fate seemed to be conspiring against him a lot lately.

Kanda gave the redhead a cold look, then paused. Rabi sighed, squared his shoulders and walked toward the swordsman, grinning as if he weren't ready to freak out and run like the Earl was after him. "Yuu-chan! How'd your mission go?" He asked perkily.

The Asian male rolled his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest, scowling. "As usual." He replied coldly. The two looked at each other, both wearing their usual expressions before Kanda broke the silence, surprising the redhead to the point of nearly falling over. "Komui has filled me in on the situation." Rabi cringed.

_Why?! Komui, you bleeping bastard! Why kin God's name would you _do_ that?!_ He inwardly screamed, trying hard not to run off and kill the insane scientist in the most brutal and creative ways possible.

Ignoring the look of panic on the other Exorcist's face, Kanda continued. "And as of this moment, Allen and myself have been assigned to," His scowl darkened. "Protecting you on missions." Rabi blinked. He was pretty sure it wasn't the protecting part that was making his ex's eyebrow twitch like that, but kit probably had something to do with Allen, as the swordsman hated the boy more than life itself.

Grinning, Rabi laughed. "Cool." Kanda looked taken aback. "I mean, I am a bit sore after what ya did last time, but…" He extended his hand, grinning like an idiot. "Lets just put the past behind us." The swordsman stared at the offer hand for a long while before nodding once and grasping the hand firmly. Without another word, the two continued in their separate directions, Rabi feeling rather pleased with himself.

He could see the dinning hall's doors and quickened his pace, eager to eat and chatter endlessly with his friends. But, apparently, fortune had other plans. He stopped dead in his tracks, eye widening in horror as a figure stepped out of the shadows.

A golden eye met his and the two mirror images stared at each other. Rabi swallowed hard, shaking his head as he started forward, determined not to give in to the delusion. He stopped a mere foot away from his double and growled, "Damn it. Just a hallucination. That's all it - Oof!" For a moment, he felt as if an Akuma had just punched him full force before he was sent sprawling, skidding across the floor several feet before coming to a stop.

Coughing and clutching his chest as he tried to breathe, Rabi struggled to stand, succeeding in kneeling and gasping. A shadow fell over him and he raised his head a bit to see the face of his attacker. The golden eyed version of himself grinned sadistically and squatted down so he was eye-level, grabbing the boy's hair and yanking it roughly so his neck was exposed. "Hey there, Rabi." It said in his voice.

The double's grin widened when the redhead growled and glared. "Remember me?" He laughed bitterly, skin seeming to darken for a moment before returning to Rabi's usual pale complexion. "Yeah, probably pretty damn well." He tossed Rabi against the wall and knelt over him, grabbing the boy by the front of his coat and straddling his waist as he leaned down, gold eye half-lidded as he nuzzled the boy's neck. "Have you started feeling it? The pain in our eye?"

Rabi coughed in response, dazed from the second attack. He cringed and tried to pull away, feeling a cold tongue against his cheek before teeth grasped the rim of the eye patch and pulled it away. His eye widened in horror when his hands went through the seemingly solid entity. His double kissed the redhead's injured eye and Rabi suddenly forgot his fear.

Searing pain shot through his skull and a scream of pain escaped his throat as his hands flew up to his face, palm against his scar in an attempt to sooth the pain. He felt the weight on his stomach disappear and curled up on his side, letting out another scream. It felt as if he were being stabbed again, as if the scar was tearing itself open again and again. He could hear his double laughing as the boy cried and tried futilely to stop the pain that threatened to tear him apart.

He faintly heard the doors to the dinning hall open and heard rushed footsteps racing toward him.

Allen, Crowley, Rinali and Tiki stared at Rabi in shock, none of them sure of what to do as they took in the scene. Rabi was on his knees, holding the right side of his face in his hands. Blood flowed from under the palms and rolled down his arms in narrow streams of crimson while tears fell from his remaining eye. His eye patch and headband lay discarded several feet away, footprints of blood disappearing against the wall behind him.

Shaking his head, Tiki ran forward and grabbed Rabi, pulling him close and brushing his hands away. He heard Rinali gasp and he could feel Allen go rigid next to him.

Where Rabi's scar had been, the painful reminder of the boy's traumatic past, was a black and gold eye, resembling Allen's when an Akuma was near. It was only then that they could make out what Rabi was now muttering, screams and sobs gone even as tears of blood fell from his strange eye, both gold and green eyes seeming out of focus.

"The end…it's coming…the Ark's awakening is near…"

-Owari

**A/N -** I have no idea what I was thinking when Rabi was practically molested by…himself. Maybe I just have a dirty mind?

Well, I hope everyone's happy with me for delivering such a long and angst chapter! I hope I didn't make Rabi too depressed at the beginning, but I'm certain most of us would be if our entire heritage came back and bit us in the ass like some kind of rabid dog.

Please R&R, because I like it when people read my story, but I like it more when people review!

As for Rabi's new eye…well, -grin- lets just say I have some mean ideas for it later on. The original idea for his eye came from a KandaRabi cousinship I read a while back, and I just decided to use it and twist it. And since I can't read Japanese (I guess I just looked at the pretty pictures instead of read it then, huh?), I'm just pretty much doing whatever happens to come to mind.

Oh? What's that I hear? "What's going on with Cross? Is he hitting on Rabi?" Hell no! -Twitches- No way! But there is a connection between Cross and Rabi and I'm going to shocked if no one comes up with what I'm doing with it. If you guys can't figure it out (though you guys are really smart…I hope I can keep it secret for a while longer, at least until the Ark storyline), then You'll just have to keep your eyes peeled for more hints!

And as for the prediction…well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see how soon the end's gonna appear? Will the ending be happy? Angsty? Both? Who knows?! Not even me.

Keep reading and reviewing, and I'll keep throwing out the chapters for you, my lovely fans! Oh! And the Rabi double's going to be dubbed Lavi as of now, since I view the American version of Rabi's name as evil and sadistic.

Until next time!


	13. Broken

Summery: Sequel to Shadows

**Summery:** Sequel to _Shadows_. After Rabi's prediction of the Ark's revival, the Exorcists (and, surprisingly enough, Cross) are thrown into overdrive, and Rabi's faced with himself in an inner standoff. How will Tiki reach him, and when will the journey come to a close? TikiRabi

**A/N - **Oh yeah. Last chapter's ending was a horrible way to end it. But I liked it, even though most of you were probably screaming at me in frustration for ending it in yet another cliffhanger.

I'm SO SORRY that this update took so damn long!! –cries- Please forgive meeeeeeeeeeeeee!! –begs readers for forgiveness-

I DON'T OWN D.GRAY-MAN OR ITS CHARACTERS!

Also, because the Ark storyline is getting tossed in now, I guess we can say we're at about the halfway point of the series. Oh wait, what's that I hear? It sounds like many little voices, and they're all screaming, "Where's Miranda?! And Crowley!?" Well, folks, hold on to your knickers, 'cause when I say Exorcists, I mean _all_ the exorcist main characters! Rabi, Allen, Kanda, Rinali, Miranda, Crowley, and even Cross! Does Bookman count as an Exorcist?

This story is rated T+ for violence, language, shounen-ai and Rabi abuse.

**Tiki:** At least she's not picking on me.

Not yet anyway, pretty boy.

**Tiki:** Damn it.

_**Last Time in "**_**Shadows"…**

Where Rabi's scar had been, the painful reminder of the boy's traumatic past, was a black and gold eye, resembling Allen's when an Akuma was near. It was only then that they could make out what Rabi was now muttering, screams and sobs gone even as tears of blood fell from his strange eye, both gold and green eyes seeming out of focus.

"The end…it's coming…the Ark's awakening is near…"

**Broken**

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

"The end…it's coming…the Ark's awakening is near…"

Everyone stared at Rabi in horror, the redhead staring off into space as Tiki shook his shoulders, shouting the boy's name in vain. "Rabi! Rabi!" The man, even when Allen and Rinali pulled him away, continued to yell, panic in his voice. Crowley moved forward to pick Rabi up, but jumped back when the boy, once stoic, slumped, but remained sitting, his mouth slowly drawing back into a wicked grin as his shoulders began to shake. His tears fell in streams even as he began to laugh, holding his head in his hands. Everyone went silent, the sound of Rabi's laughter sending shivers up their spines. That wasn't a normal laugh. That was one of someone who had lost it.

Tiki broke free and knelt in front of Rabi once more, gently cupping his cheek in his palm as he crooned, leaning close and putting his forehead against Rabi's, "Rabi…Rabi, shh…" The boy's laughter slowly faded to sobs, Tiki pulling him close and began whispering soft, comforting words to the Exorcist, who trembled and cried in his arms.

He could hardly hear Rabi as the redhead spoke, his voice quivering and words broken by his sobs. "T-tiki…does it…always hurt…this much…? T-turning into a Noah…?" Tiki closed his eyes, rubbing his cheek against Rabi's blood stained one, leaving a bright red smear across his skin. He didn't answer, just held the boy and nuzzled him gently, petting his hair until Rabi went limp in his arms, unconscious.

Allen swallowed hard, edging closer to the two as he asked weakly, unsure of what to make of everything that had happened, "Is…is he…?"

Tiki simply stared into space as he said softly, continuing to hold Rabi in a firm grip, running his fingers carefully through the boy's thick crimson locks, "No…just sleeping…" He kissed the top of Rabi's head, staring hard at the bloodied foot prints. Slowly, he stood, lifting Rabi in his arms and carrying him to his room as he muttered, glancing back at the group of shocked Exorcists and Finders, "Don't bother us…I'm going to try something…and I can't be disturbed…please…" Allen sucked in a small breath, nodding.

With that, he left, cradling Rabi close.

- - -

Rabi slowly opened his eye, feeling numb after all the pain he had been through recently. He sat up with a groan, holding his head in a hand as he tried to get the room to stop spinning while trying to identify the room he was in. It seemed almost bare, with only a door, a tilted checker-print floor that he had been laying on and a mirror that took up the entirety of the wall to his left. It was a small room, about the size of his bedroom, minus the furniture.

He dragged himself to his feet, wobbling unsteadily on the tilted floor. He looked around, wondering why he had been brought to such a strange and useless room when he had been bleeding and half-insane at the time. _This sure as hell isn't the mental ward, that's for certain…_he thought, rubbing his head a bit and walking carefully toward the mirror to stare at his reflection.

His face stared right back, unchanged. He smiled to himself, touching his eye patch as he wondered if maybe the Black Order had just put him there until he calmed down enough to think straight. Just as he turned toward the door, his reflection shifted, and Rabi's blood ran cold, instinctively backing away from the mirror and grabbing his eye patch as if afraid the pain would return.

The dark, Noah side of him smiled coyly, his eye patch gone and revealing the frightening cursed eye that remained hidden by Rabi's patch. "Hello again. Did you enjoy my gift, Rabi?" The Noah purred, eyes half-lidded and a wide, sadistic smirk on his tanned face. Rabi glared at him, reaching for his hammer and gasping in shock when he found nothing but an empty holster. He looked up sharply at his other half, swallowing hard as he slid into a defensive stance, shaking slightly.

"Who the hell are you?!" Rabi finally managed to shout, his voice echoing in the small room. His Noah half snickered.

"Me…?" He laughed bitterly, the Noah running a hand through his crimson locks, revealing the dark cross-shaped marks on his forehead. "OUR name is Lavi the musician…They say there are four of us," Lavi's smirk widened into a feral sneer. "But we, dear Rabi…are the fourteenth. The fourteenth Apostle and the final actor of Lord Millennium's macaber play. The stars of the final Act of human existance."

Rabi growled, his fists shaking at his sides. He lunged forward with a yell, his fist connecting with the cold surface of the mirror, where his double's face was. The glass shattered and Rabi recoiled in pain, holding his bleeding hand close, tears blurring his vision. He looked up at the wall, breathing hard. "Take that and shove it…" He said, turning away and leaning against the far wall, trying to stop the bleeding by wrapping his fist in the hem of his shirt.

He winced and grabbed his head with his uninjured hand, staggering when a sudden stab of pain hit his covered eye. He could hear Lavi's voice in his head, the other side of him sounding amused and excited as he said playfully to the boy, _Don't fight it anymore, light. If you give in, everything you've ever wanted will be ours: friends, family, the freedom to love._

"No…! I have all of that! I have all of that!" He yelled, sinking to his knees in pain. He gasped when he felt strong arms around him, the pain in his head easing to a light grogginess. He looked back to see who was holding him and stared. Nothing was there, but he could clearly feel the arms holding him, a gentle hand petting his hair and soft whispers brushing his cheek.

"Bunny-chan…wake up…" Rabi sighed in relief, closing his eyes and falling against the invisible body of his love.

Rabi groaned, waking slowly. Tiki smiled, no longer in his white form, and hugged Rabi close, kissing his forehead lightly. "Ah…you finally decided to wake up, my little sleepy rabbit." Rabi smiled weakly at the new title, snuggling closer to Tiki and trying to remember just why he felt so light headed.

Then the memories came back to him and he sat up, touching his eye patch and pausing when he felt fresh bandages instead of the familiar leather patch he usually wore. He looked up at the ex-Noah, who's smile was twisted into a sad one that made the redhead fear he had done something horrible when he had snapped mentally. Tiki touched Rabi's cheek lightly, smiling softly as he said, "Don't worry…you're safe now." Rabi relaxed slowly at his lover's reassurance, though he didn't exactly feel safe.

_How can I be safe when my worst enemy is myself…?_ He wondered, hoping his worry didn't show as he grinned and leaned against Tiki, glad for the other man's warmth. He smiled when he felt Tiki hug him, the Noah burying his face in the boy's crimson hair and kissing his head gently.

After a long while, Rabi finally spoke, frowning a bit. "Tiki. About…this Ark I keep thinking about…" He felt Tiki tense, the man's discomfort making Rabi uneasy. "What is it?"

Tiki was quiet for a moment, staring at the wall in thought. Finally, he broke the uneasy silence and said softly, tightening his grip on the boy, "The Ark…is home." Rabi looked up at Tiki, his gaze saddening when he realized that he wasn't the only one feeling alienated. "It's where the Akuma are spawned from, and where the Earl and the Noah used to live until the unseen fourteenth Noah gave control of it to a human…" He smiled at Rabi sadly, saddened that the boy had to share a fate worse then his own. "I suppose that would be…your mother and father, hm?"

Rabi nodded slowly, resting his forehead against Tiki's chest and thinking. Finally, he spoke, pulling away from the man and giving him a serious and determined look. "Tiki…I can't hide forever…" He frowned. "We need to stop the Ark." The man gaped at Rabi, than proceeded to try and talk the boy out of it.

"Rabi! That place is a death trap! Hell, even as a Noah, it's hard to survive!" Tiki proclaimed, panicked. _What if the Earl sees him? What if the Earl…_Tiki shook his head to dismiss the thoughts before he could show just how frightened he was as he grabbed the boy's shoulders and looked him in the eye, hoping he could change the boy's mind, but only saw sheer determination.

Rabi slapped Tiki's hands away, standing as he said, his voice raising slightly in dismay, "Tiki, listen to me!" He held his head, shaking it to clear his thoughts and keep from passing out. He put a hand against Tiki's chest when the man rose to help him, keeping the man at arm's reach. "I know it's dangerous. But if we can at least stop the Ark, it'll slow the Earl's plans, right?" Slowly, concern in his eyes, Tiki nodded. "Then why worry about the danger? If I can tap into my Noah abilities somehow, without going nuts, then I might be able to—"

Tiki slapped the teen's cheek hard, grabbing his shoulders and shaking his head. The dangers of an Exorcist using Noah abilities were extreme, and there was always the chance that Rabi's Innocence would react badly and turn the boy into a Togachi. "Rabi, it's your turn to listen…" Tiki said softly, laying a hand against the boy's reddened cheek, leaning down and kissing the tear that fell from Rabi's eye. "I know you want to help…and I know it's important that we stop the Earl…but we can't go into their lair half-cocked, guns loaded and no plan to be seen."

"B-but…"

Rabi was cut off by the door opening, Allen and the other Exorcists entering Tiki's small bedroom. The white haired boy had a determined look on his face, his friends all looking ready to go and fight a war and win. "But what if we have a plan?" Allen asked, sounding more mature then either Rabi or Tiki had ever heard before. "What if all of us go? And master will be joining us there later."

Tiki blinked. "Master?"

Allen held out his hand, a letter resting in his palm. Rabi took the crumpled and tattered looking piece of paper and read it aloud, blinking at the contents. "'Allen – Tell your idiot red haired friend and his equally stupid lover that the fight isn't theirs alone. We'll meet in Edo, Japan, and take it from there. Just don't die before then.'" Rabi lowered the letter, letting a grin spread across his face. "Well!" He grinned up at Tiki, the man not looking the least bit comforted by the thought of going to Edo with or without Cross. "Looks like it's go time, eh?"

Kanda scoffed, looking away and looking mildly sick at the grin Rabi was giving Tiki. Without a word, he turned and left without anyone's notice but Rinali's, the girl watching him leave. Crowley gave Rabi a weak smile, then his gaze fell on Tiki. He swallowed hard, having heard from Allen and Rinali earlier about "Neo" being the Noah Tiki Mick. Miranda heard as well, but that didn't stop either of them from gaping in awe and fear at the Noah before them.

Tiki cleared his throat, picking up his top hat and placing it on his head as gracefully as ever, smiling coyly at Rabi as he said with a sigh, shrugging and shaking his head, "There's no stopping you, is there, Bunny-chan?" Rabi just grinned broadly. "Alright." The Exorcists parted like the red sea for the man and Rabi as the two walked past them, both ready to face whatever lay ahead of them, their hands tightly entwined.

_All before was merely the start, the mere prologue to the Stage, and the play has finally begun._

_**-Owari**_

**A/N-** MWAHAHAHAHA! –crying as she laughs, her pencil snapping in half- F-f-f-finally…! Finally the story has been updated and has finally begun! –cries harder and breaks the desk- Dear lord, bless me with a muse that doesn't run away at the first sight of a plot…

I hope you all enjoyed the newest chapter, and I hope to maybe (don't hold your breath) have the next chapter posted next week. Other then an AWOL muse, I have no excuse for being so goddamn late on this update…at least we know it isn't dead, right? –cries again and hides in a closet to start the next chapter-


	14. Plan

Summary: Sequel to Broken

**Summary:** _Sequel to Broken. _The Exorcists and Tiki are on their way to Edo to stop the revival of the Ark before it's too late, but along the way, they find themselves stranded in London, which has been overrun by Akuma and David and Jesdero! The group is forced to split up, and Rabi leads the remaining Exorcists toward Edo. Meeting with Cross, Team Rabi set up a plan and execute it. The question is: Will it succeed? TikiRabi

**A/N-** Woohoo! Another chapter out and ready to amaze! But that's not all! It's gonna be a long one to make up for all the time I wasted trying to track down my muse with a butterfly net for last chapter. Hopefully this will see the light of day before next month. Hopefully. But, hey, if you're reading this, then I guess it got out there eventually, ne?

Anyway…

I DON'T OWN D.GRAY-MAN OR ITS CHARACTERS!!

This story is rated T+ for violence, Rabi abuse, shounen-ai and language.

Enjoy my fans, and I will continue to write for all of you and I will see this story to the very end! I hope you guys stick around despite my butterfly chasing antics!

**Plans**

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

Jesdero stared at his brother's back for a long while, his wide eyes unblinking and his single lock of glowing hair swaying in the breeze as they sat on the London clock tower over looking the city. They had long since planted their Akuma in the midst of the humans and were waiting for the right moment to give the Akuma the word to start wrecking havoc upon the city. David had a thoughtful look on his face, a rare and out of character expression for him, but that didn't matter at the moment. All that was important was that the Earl had given them a mission despite their countless failures.

"David?" Jesdero finally asked, tilting his head to the side slightly. "When do we blow stuff up?"

"Soon." Davis grunted in response.

"How soon?"

"As soon as we see the train."

"Oh."

Silence reigned for a short period of time before Jesdero broke it once more. "Is it soon yet?" David gave his brother an irritated look, but he said nothing, silently agreeing with his brother. Just how long did it take to reach London via train from the Black Order? Too long in their opinion, but they couldn't control how quickly the Exorcists got their butts into gear. Just how long it would take said gears to stop turning.

It had been hours since an Akuma spy had sent word that the Exorcists had boarded a train to London, and the two Noah were getting fidgety. Just when they contemplated just letting the Akuma attack early, Jesdero's head perked and he pointed at the train tracks as he said in a giddy voice, practically jumping up and down from excitement, "There they are! There they are!" David grinned.

The two raised their guns into the air and pulled back the hammers.

* * *

Rabi grinned as they got off the train, glad to feel solid ground under his feet. Tiki followed at his heels as closely as possible, looking around and making sure that everything was fine while the other Exorcists trailed behind them, all just on edge as he was.

The redhead looked up at Tiki, then back at everyone else as he proclaimed, just as hyper as ever, "C'mon, guys! I know we need to have our guard up, but do we have to look like the mob while we do it?" Allen smiled, glad that none of the month's head-spinning events had done a thing to dampen Rabi's mood. Tiki chuckled lightly, but didn't lower his guard, simply wrapped an arm around the teen's waist and held him close to his side as they walked. Rabi just grinned like a love-struck idiot.

"Now, Bunny-chan," Tiki said in mock-sternness, using his free hand to hold his top hat in place when a gust of wind hit the group. "You have to remember that some of them, like that very angry man with the sword, don't know how to be happy like we do. It's a sad fact, but a fact nonetheless." Tiki could feel Kanda's glare and couldn't help but think, _If looks could kill, I think even the Earl would be dead from the way that guy's looking at me…_Laughing nervously, Tiki just lowered his hat a bit and kept walking, Rabi at his side and trying to keep up with the man's much longer strides.

Kanda growled, grabbing the hilt of his sword making as if to draw it, pausing when Allen laid a hand on his and said softly, the boy's blue eyes stern, but kind, as if he knew what Kanda was going through, "Kanda…calm down…please." Kanda growled again, but said nothing, releasing his grip on his sword and huffing as he stormed after Tiki and Rabi, grumbling something about keeping the redhead out of trouble. Allen sighed, smiling weakly as he fell back to walk next to Rinali, Crowley and Miranda bringing up the rear.

They were making their way toward the dock when they heard two gunshots ring out in the distance. Screams of terror followed the sounds, and Allen gasped, his eye reacting and changing. Part of a building was blasted off, and several Level two Akuma came through, laughing and mocking the humans as the humans fled and scrambled to get away.

Rabi drew his hammer and lunged at one, leading the assault on the Akuma while Tiki and Miranda tried to get the humans to safety while fending off Akuma attacks themselves. Tiki pulled Miranda out of the way of an Akuma's attack, then raised a hand, a Tease appearing and wrapping around his hand to form a strange arm-mounted blade of energy in the shape of a butterfly. He charged forward into the fray, easily dispatching Akuma while the Exorcists split up to spread out their attacks.

* * *

David and Jesdero watched the battle from a nearby church, both grinning as they watched the Exorcists wear down and as more Akuma rushed to fill the empty spots their brethren had occupied moments before. The two raised their guns, aiming for a particular target and shouted, grins widening in sadistic glee, "Heaven's Strike!" They fired, and their bullets struck true.

* * *

Rabi cried out in pain as he was hit in the arm by what felt like a pair of bullets, the boy's attack faltering and getting him thrown into the air by the attacking Akuma. He hit the ground hard after what felt like an eternity and groaned, holding his arm as he dragged himself to his feet. Quickly, he dropped his hand, scooping up his hammer and swinging it in a wide arch, crushing three Akuma against a building. "Ow, ow, ow…" He winced, knowing he didn't have time to bandage the painful injuries and simply resumed fighting, hoping the bullet wounds didn't hinder his abilities too much.

After nearly two hours, the Exorcists were forced to retreat back to the train station, tired and injured. Allen was nursing several wide gashes on his arm and legs, Kanda's coat was ripped and his own injures healed slowly by themselves, Rabi was in the process of having Rinali remove the bullets in his arm then bandaging him. Crowley and Miranda were panting heavily, and Tiki was the only one uninjured.

He sat next to Rabi, listening as the Akuma searched for them outside, and said softly; concern in his eyes, "Rabi," The boy looked up at him, forcing a smile even when Rinali's fingers brushed the gapping wound in his arm to dig out the bullet. Tiki kissed the boy's lips softly and continued, lowering his voice to a whisper, "If you're having trouble, then sit out…please, I don't want you to get hurt any more then you already are…I'm sure everyone will be fine…" Rabi looked up at Tiki, fighting back tears of pain as Rinali removed a bullet and tossed it aside.

"I can't leave them!" Rabi said firmly, appalled that the man would even consider Rabi sitting out such a massive fight. Allen looked up and spoke, his voice soft and almost unheard.

"Tiki," Everyone turned their attention to Allen, the boy swallowing hard. "If we spend more time here…will we have time to stop the Ark?" Tiki lowered his gaze, mumbling about how he was uncertain. The white haired boy looked over the group, all of them understanding what had to be done. Standing, Allen smiled. "Then go. Rabi, take Tiki and Crowley and get to Edo."

Rabi gasped and stood, starting toward Allen, but paused when Tiki caught him. "A-Allen! What about the city?" The boy smiled, but didn't a chance to respond, Kanda getting between them and smacking Rabi on top of the head. The boy squeaked when he was hit, looking up at the angry swordsman with tears in his eye.

"Stupid!" Kanda snapped, Rabi cringing at the harsh tone. The other teen dropped his voice, turning away and grabbing the hilt of his sword. They could hear the Akuma growing closer, and everyone slid into ready stances, Crowley moving to stand on Rabi's other side. "Noah," Tiki blinked. "Is there some way you can get to Edo without wasting any time?" Tiki bit his lip, but nodded. "Then use it and get the hell out of here before I kill you and that stupid rabbit."

"Yuu-chan…" Kanda looked back at Rabi, staring at the boy for a moment before saying something about staying safe, the dark haired teen running toward the door, the rest of his team following. Rabi stared after Kanda in shock, surprised at the gentleness and the concern the normally cold male had just shown.

Rabi shook his head and looked up at Tiki, waiting for the man to lead them. The Noah held Rabi close, raising a hand and concentrating. They would have to move fast, or else the Earl and Rhodes would notice the door to Edo had been summoned, and then the element of surprise would be lost. A checkered door rose from the ground, the doors curved and forming almost a heart shape. "We only have a moment before the Earl finds out." Tiki explained, quickly grabbing the decorative handles and yanking the doors open.

The three ran through, the doors closing and disappearing behind them.

Allen caught up to Kanda, both pausing by the door leading out into the Akuma filled city and asked, his eyes betraying his concern, "Are you alright…?"

Kanda didn't look at him, simply stared ahead, one hand on the door and the other on the hilt of his sword. Finally, he pushed the door open, bursting out and attacking the closest Akuma, leading the assault against the Akuma forces with brutal attacks that downed his targets after a single strike.

* * *

"Earl-tama! EARL-TAMA!" Relo screeched, floating around the manor foyer in search of its master. The umbrella paused in the middle of the room, panting and sweating profusely. How, exactly, an umbrella sweats or breathes isn't an issue here, so don't ask.

"Relo, calm down!" Rhodes chirped from the doorway leading deeper into the manor, running a hand through her unruly hair. "What's wrong?" She asked, sounding irritated. The umbrella was at her side in an instant, its words mixing and jumbling as it rambled on about a door being opened. Rhodes smiled, knowing just who had opened the Noah's gateway. "Tiki…and our wayward brother have finally come home." She laughed lightly, hurrying off to inform the Earl.

Relo watched her run off, swallowing hard. _This isn't going to go well – relo…_

* * *

Upon exiting the door, Rabi and Crowley were looking a little green, though Tiki didn't seem the least bit phased, even though he had both of them clinging to him like giant koalas. Slowly, he detached the pair of Exorcists and set them on the ground as he said quietly, adjusting his hat, "Wait here a moment. I'll be right back." Rabi and Crowley just nodded numbly, too afraid to open their mouths for fear of spilling whatever they had eaten in the past day. Tiki smiled at the pair, amused, then vanished, leaving the two to take in their surroundings while trying to get the area to stop spinning.

They were hiding behind a house under the cover of night and thick shadows. The moon glowed softly in the night sky, stars twinkling and not a single cloud in the sky. Rabi leaned against the house, staring up at the sky as he took a deep breath of fresh, clean air, the sound of crickets gentle and soothing. For a moment the two actually forgot they were in enemy territory, as the serenity was a good mask to hide the true danger of the place.

"Rabi…?" Crowley asked, checking his Akuma blood supply now that his head wasn't spinning and his stomach wasn't about to jump out of his mouth. "Is this really Edo?" The redhead looked around, staring at the small houses and huts that made up the part of the city they could see. "This is…just such a beautiful place…and it's so quiet." Rabi nodded slowly, smiling.

"Yeah…it is…" Rabi replied softly, careful not to raise his voice any louder then he needed to. The two tensed when a piece of a branch from an unseen cherry tree snapped and Crowley withdrew a vial of blood while Rabi gripped the handle of his hammer tightly, both staring in the direction the noise at come from.

A figure moved toward them, the hulking form floating a few inches from the ground, something square clutched in its hands. Rabi swallowed hard, holding a hand out to silently tell Crowley to wait, both moving deeper into the shadows. The creature stopped, then turned in their direction as it said in a soft, metallic voice, "Ex…or…cists…"

* * *

Tiki ducked behind a building, holding onto the rim of his top hat to keep it from blowing away if the wind picked up. He could hear several people he knew as Akuma walking past, talking, and he strained to hear, hoping the information was important.

"So, is it true that Lord Tiki betrayed us?" One, a child from the sound of it, asked, sounding awestruck.

"Uh-huh. I was there when he swooped in and saved that one exorcist from Rhodes." A second one said in a deep baritone voice. The others began whispering in shocked tones, making Tiki smile in amusement. The little girl spoke up once more.

"But…then why is Mistress Rhodes so happy that they might be coming here? I mean...shouldn't she be angry? But instead she was talking about a party…" The man's blood ran cold. If what the Akuma was saying was true, then he had just walked them into a trap. Without waiting to hear the rest, he ran off back to where he had left Rabi and Crowley, hoping the two had remained hidden.

* * *

Rabi silently cursed when he went to move his injured arm, and it was only silenced because Crowley had covered his mouth and pulled him into the darkness. The two pressed against the house, the older Exorcist using his black cloak to shield them from sight. The monster, a gold Akuma carrying a box, had sensed them, and was currently poking around for them, though it seemed rather protective of the box it was carrying.

The Akuma paused, turning towards the shadows where the two Exorcists were hiding and started forward as it said softly, "Are you the Exorcists Master Cross told me to look for?" Rabi and Crowley blinked. The Akuma floated in front of them, waiting for them to reply. When it didn't get an answer, just a couple of blank stares, it sighed. "I'm Chomesuke, an Altered Akuma. Master Cross sent me for alcohol and a couple of Exorcists, but I don't see the Noah he mentioned."

Slowly, Crowley lowered his hand from Rabi's mouth to let the boy speak. Rabi stepped forward slowly and asked, "Um…you know General Cross?" The Akuma nodded. "And…you were sent here to find us…by him?" It nodded again. "Kuro-chan, is it April 1st?" The other Exorcist blinked, confused, but Chomesuke knew what the redhead meant and smacked him over the head with the box.

"Baka! It's only March!" It snapped, sounding irritated. Rabi rubbed his head, grinning. Anything that used a box instead of their attacks couldn't be that bad, and it was better then getting lost in Akuma territory. He looked around, hoping to see Tiki somewhere. Alas, the man was nowhere in sight and he felt a bit nervous.

He swallowed and looked back at Crowley and hoped the man would give him some sort of advice, but Crowley was just as lost and confused as he was and wasn't any help. The Akuma shifted nervously, looking around to make sure no one had heard the commotion and relaxing slowly when it realized that its words had been unheard.

Then, as if answering Rabi's silent wish, Tiki dropped down beside him, moving instantly between Rabi and the Akuma, a Tease appearing in his palm. The Akuma backed up a bit, than tried to explain itself. "Wait! Wait! I'm a nice Akuma! A good one!" Tiki paused, glancing back when Rabi grabbed onto his arm, holding him back.

"Wait, Tiki." Rabi said soothingly. "Let's give it a chance…it said that it was sent by Cross to fetch us." The man looked back at the Akuma, who flinched under his gaze, trying to hide behind the box even though it was too small to hide even its head.

Slowly, the Noah willed the Tease away and said quietly, hugging Rabi close with an arm, "We need to be careful…Rhodes knows we're coming, which means every turn could be a trap." Rabi nodded, grinning at Crowley, then to Chomesuke, nodding slowly. Sighing in relief, Chomesuke turned and led the way, careful not to speak or make too much noise for fear of other hostile Akuma or Noah finding them. It was also determined not to move too quickly because it wasn't certain what Tiki would do.

* * *

"Agh!" Allen hit a wall hard, slumping to the ground. Kanda moved between him and the attacking Akuma, blocking the monster's attack as he glared back at Allen, shouting something that sounded like, "are you alright?" Allen nodded slowly, dragging himself to his feet and running past the older Exorcist, jumping up and slicing through the attacking Akuma with ease. He landed beside the other male, sighing and dropping to a knee, holding his side in pain.

Kanda looked down the street as Rinali dispatched her own opponent, but the Akuma came in a continuous swarm, quickly hiding her from view. The dark haired male turned his attention back to Allen, kneeling and helping the smaller boy to his feet as he growled, "Moyashi baka…" the younger Exorcist gave him an apologetic look, but didn't protest to being helped.

Once he was certain the boy was able to stand on his own, Kanda released him, backing away as if wanting to put as much distance as he could between them. Allen didn't spare him a second glance as he charged into battle to help Rinali. Kanda spun on his heel and sliced an Akuma in half with ease. He glanced to the side, watching as Miranda shielding several humans from Akuma attacks, the woman giving him a small smile and nod, telling him she was fine for now and Kanda resumed fighting.

* * *

Cross looked up from a book, sitting up straight and dismissing a Geisha, the woman leaving a serving tray with sake on it behind as she left, closing the sliding doors behind her. Chomesuke, leading Tiki and the Exorcists, entered through the open back porch door and set the heavy box beside Cross, the man patting her head like one would a dog. The Akuma scoffed and moved away, letting the older Exorcist see the others that had joined it.

"You made it here alive, hm?" The man looked the group over. "I'm guessing Allen and the others are battling elsewhere?" Rabi averted his gaze, Tiki laying a reassuring hand on his shoulder while Crowley just nodded, looking depressed. "I see." The man motioned to a set of cushions across from him and the trio took the offered seats, Rabi leaning partially against Tiki. The Noah smiled softly, draping an arm over his lover's shoulders and holding him close.

"Alright, you two love birds," A female voice said from the side, making everyone look up. A tall beautiful woman, dressed in kimono stepped toward them, her brown hair tied up in a bun and an amused look on her face. She knelt beside the box, prying it open and revealing several bottles of wine. "You better pay attention, because Master Cross wanted you two to hear this the most." Rabi blinked.

"Uh…" He started, unsure of what to make of the situation. _Just who is this chick exactly?_

Luckily, Crowley had the nerve to ask the very question that was running through Rabi's mind, the redhead glad he didn't have to say anything. The woman sighed. "Honestly…It's me! Chomesuke!" The trio made 'ooooh' faces and nodded in understanding, Chomesuke rolling her eyes and sitting beside Cross.

Cross smirked a bit, but left his comments about the three's intelligence to himself and let his smirk fade. He lifted his sake cup to his lips and took a small sip before speaking, his tone serious. "On to the important matters." Everyone sat up a little straighter, turning their attention to Cross and waiting for him to continue. "As I'm sure you all know, Edo isn't a safe place, not right now. Every person here, except for myself, you three and the other Noah, are Akuma and not weak ones either." Rabi's eyes widened and Crowley felt like he was about to have a stroke.

"How powerful are we talking here?" Rabi risked, though he already knew the answer.

Tiki tightened his grip on Rabi as he answered. "Nothing lower then a Level Two. Probably higher now, though." Rabi swallowed hard. Three Exorcists, a Noah and an Altered Akuma against all of Edo? He didn't exactly like those odds, and neither did anyone else.

"Hence the reason we're going to be quiet about this." Cross stood, moving to close the screen doors leading outside. The moonlight came in through the paper dimly, though it wasn't enough to light the whole room as it had before. Cross returned to his seat as he continued to speak, lowering his voice. "Now listen, and listen good because I'm only going to say this once: if we want to stop the Ark, then we need to use every strength we have." Tiki felt the older male's gaze on him and stiffened. "Noah, you're the only one who can get us into the Ark, so be ready."

Tiki nodded slowly, not exactly pleased with being dubbed as simply, "Noah" when he had a perfectly good name already.

"Rabi," The redhead blinked. "As of right now, you're our trump card. Stay close to Tiki, because you two will probably need to hold a position until the others arrive." The boy nodded, looking at Crowley nervously. He didn't much like the thought of the older, much meeker, Exorcist being split up from the group, but if it meant their mission was a success…He sighed, hanging his head and praying to whatever God was listening that the mission was successful and everyone was able to go home alive. "And as for you…"

"Erm…Crowley, sir…" The vampire said meekly, shifting uncomfortably.

"Yes. Crowley. You'll be with me and Chomesuke taking care of the outside forces. Because once the Earl catches wind of intruders inside the Ark, you can bet your asses he's going to try to send in his Akuma to stop the two of you." Tiki and Rabi nodded slowly. They sat and discussed the plan for hours, Chomesuke sitting by the back door and listening for intruders or eavesdroppers, but their conversation went unheard by unseen ears.

Finally, at midnight, Cross let the three stay for the night so they could rest and recover from whatever injuries they had from before. This, of course, was directed to Rabi, whose arm was still mostly out of commission from the gun shot wounds.

Crowley slept easily while Cross kept watch in the hall and Chomesuke sat outside, leaving Rabi and Tiki awake and unable to sleep. The man held Rabi close, running his fingers through the boy's hair as he whispered, the two laying on a small, but comfortable, futon, "Bunny-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"…" Tiki pressed his lips against Rabi's softly before saying with a smile, shifting so he was half on top of the boy, the redhead's cheeks practically glowing from blush, "Promise me you'll try to be quiet, okay?" He nuzzled the boy's throat, sucking softly on the skin and smiling when he heard Rabi emit a small sound of pleasure. "I'm going to make you mine...before we head off to battle…" He felt Rabi nod, the man continuing to kiss and suck on the boy's skin.

Rabi covered his mouth with a hand when he felt Tiki's hand against his stomach, said hand then sliding under his pants and rubbing him gently. _He's such a pervert! Only he could get turned on by the thought of possibly dying! And Kuro-chan's right there…!_ He thought, keeping his mouth covered as he was toyed with, keeping an eye on Crowley's sleeping form. He arched against Tiki, the man chuckling lightly against his throat as he slowly started undressing the boy.

The door slid open and both Tiki and Rabi looked at it with looks of guilt on their faces. Cross stared at them for a moment, not quite sure what to say or do. Had it been a man and a woman, he probably would have just watched, but a man and a man? Then again, both could be considered feminine if he thought about it. "…Uh…" Tiki blushed, slowly withdrawing his hand and fixing Rabi's pants while retaining eye contact with Cross. He felt the redhead bury himself under him, muttering something about dying of embarrassment. "We were…um…"

Tiki was not easily embarrassed, but it was possible and this was one of those few situations where words escaped him. So, he settled to just grin and hoped the other man went away. _Tiki Jr. was hoping for some action, old man…please leave so me, Jr. and Bunny-chan can continue…_the Noah thought, hoping to convey his thoughts with a slight hand wave to try and usher Cross out of the room without physically removing him.

Cross sighed, shaking his head and striding into the room and closing the door behind him. He sat down by the pair and said with a grumble, "You're doing it wrong." Tiki blinked and Rabi looked at Cross with a look of shock on his face, his cheeks turning as red as his hair as the older man pulled the boy to a seated position and went to grab the bottom of his shirt.

Tiki nearly screamed as he grabbed Rabi away and snapped, his own cheeks red and his eyes nearly doing a hostile takeover of his face, "What the hell are you doing?! He's _my_ Bunny-chan!" Cross half-glared at him, pulling Rabi back to him by the back of the boy's shirt.

"Ever hear of sharing?" The man retorted.

Tiki yanked Rabi back. "I'm not sharing my Bunny-chan, you old pervert!"

"Look who's talking."

"I'm only 23! You're, what, 43?"

"Low blow, boy."

Rabi sighed, hanging his head as he was yanked back and forth by the two men, unable to get a word in edge wise between their bickering. "Um…" He sighed. "But I just wanna sleep with Tiki…" They, of course, ignored him and their argument lasted until nearly two in the morning, in which case it only ended when Rabi knocked them out and snuggled against Tiki to sleep.

* * *

"Okay, let's review the plan once more." Rabi crossed his arms, determined to make the plan go off without a hitch or even a slight bump. Cross had to admire the intelligence and seriousness that the boy handled the situation with, though his head was still sore from being blind-sided by a massive hammer and he couldn't help but be irritated. Tiki, despite his own head injury, seemed rather pleased with the situation and was giving Rabi as much love and attention as he could in hopes of getting back onto the redhead's good side.

Rabi pushed Tiki away, giving him a, 'this is serious' look before reiterating and ignoring the pout he was getting with only mild success, "Step one: Crowley, Cross and Chomesuke create a distraction in the center of Edo by trashing the place and causing a general uproar. Step two: Tiki and I enter the Ark via that funky Noah door thing from the south, avoiding the conflict as much as possible. Step three: The Three C's," Cross twitched, taking back his thoughts on Rabi being serious and mature. "Will hold the entrance until the others get here, which should be sometime tonight if everything went fine, and if they don't show by midnight, then Tiki's supposed to open a door and get the three of your to our location at the time. Step five: Tiki and I make our way to the center of the Ark to try and shut it down, or at least slow the thing down. And if the Ark can't be shut down…" The redhead didn't much like that idea, but they had to cover all the bases. "Then we retreat."

They had spent most of the morning going over the plans and scouting the city for the best place to stage a diversion. Every chance he got, Rabi would grill the rest of the group to make sure everything was committed to memory, and it was because of this that everyone had every detail memorized.

It was six at night by time their meeting was over and the plans were to be executed the second night fell, which was generally around eight. They had two hours to prepare or, in Rabi's case, to contemplate their chances of survival.

The teen sighed heavily, sitting on the small porch Cross's inn room opened into, the redhead tugging off his headband and scarf, staring at a koi pond and watching the fish swim to and fro in the crystal clear waters. He heard Tiki sit next to him, and leaned his head against the man's shoulder as he reached up, touching his bandaged eye sadly. "Tiki." The man made a small sound of acknowledgement, staring off into the distance with a lit cigarette between his lips. The smell of nicotine was almost calming now, as Rabi now associated the smell with the tall, merciless and sexy man at his side. He smiled at his own description of Tiki and snuggled close, seeking the other's comfort and warmth. "Let's promise to live, okay?"

Tiki smiled slightly, and draped an arm around the boy's shoulder, lifting his other hand to remove the cigarette. He exhaled, a puff of smoke following the escaping breath as he said gently, "Of course we'll live. If I have to, I'll bribe your soul back with candy."

Rabi laughed, Tiki joining in happily. The two slowly calmed, enjoying each other's company in silence for a long while before Rabi spoke once more, his voice betraying his fears. "I…don't really wanna die, you know…?" The dark haired man's expression turned sad, and he gave the boy's cheek a tug.

"You're not going to die, Bunny-chan, and if you do…" He smiled. "I'll join you as soon as I can." Rabi, even though he was touched and ready to start crying, gave the man a dirty look.

"Don't go saying stuff like that so easily!" The redhead snapped, Tiki laughing lightly. "Suicide's a major sin in some religions!" The man grinned, eyes dancing with amusement.

"Some, but not mine." Rabi scowled, unable to think of a retort. After a moment, he smiled and nodded, snuggling close and sighing. They light silence reign, dwelling on their own thoughts and keeping their fears to themselves.

* * *

When the time finally came for them to move out, Cross turned to the group, studying each face as if memorizing them should the younger and much less experienced Exorcists be unable to return home. They all knew it was possible, but they didn't think about it, instead focusing on the task at hand. "Alright," The man nodded, satisfied for now, and turned away, throwing open the front doors of the inn and stepping out into the moonlight. "Let's go."

With those simple words, the two teams split up, neither certain they would ever see the other again.

-Owari

**A/N - **-stares at the number of pages- Woohoo! Page 12! Nice! Well, I hope this chapter didn't bore you, but I just couldn't find a good place to stop writing it at. It's sad, but true. Anyway, I'm glad I managed to get this out shortly after the last one, and again, I hope everyone enjoyed it. What's that? What happened to Allen and the others? You'll see! Or maybe not. I might feel lazy and just skip over them next time. Or at least Rinali's new hairdo and her jammed Innocence. I mean, it'll happen, but I just don't wanna redo what the manga/anime's already done, especially since it'll be pretty close to the same location and such.

Don't worry. Bak-chan and Fou will be making appearances soon, especially since Allen has to play nice with them and get them to help. As a note, the gateway the Akuma opened when Allen got his Innocence back, is still there. Just blocked off so the local idiots can't fall through it.

Anyway, Read and review!


	15. SOS

Summary: Sequel to Plans

**Summary:** _Sequel to Plans._ The plan has been made, the pieces have been set and the game is afoot! Just when the plan seems to have gone off without a hitch, Tiki and Rabi stumble into a trap set by Rhodes and Skin, and the two are unexpectedly thrown into battle. Meanwhile, Crowley, Chomesuke and Cross are having problems of their own when their attacked by the Earl himself! Can these two teams survive their separate encounters, and what of Allen and the others? TikiRabi

**A/N – **Mwhahahahahahaha! The next chapter is here! Ta-da! Feel happy, because I'm on a D.Gray-Man rampage and won't stop until my muse goes AWOL again! Until then, enjoy this action packed chapter to make up for the boring/not-so-action packed one from last time!

I DON'T OWN D.GRAY-MAN OR ITS CHARACTERS!!

Oh, and to answer a question that one of my reviewers asked: Yes, Allen is still the Destroyer of Time. The only thing different is that Rabi's the one who stops the Ark since he is, in my story, the Musician. But, have no fear. Allen is still the only one able to defeat the Earl.

Um…nothing else to say but ENJOY!

**Last time, in **_**Plans:**_

When the time finally came for them to move out, Cross turned to the group, studying each face as if memorizing them should the younger and much less experienced Exorcists be unable to return home. They all knew it was possible, but they didn't think about it, instead focusing on the task at hand. "Alright," The man nodded, satisfied for now, and turned away, throwing open the front doors of the inn and stepping out into the moonlight. "Let's go."

With those simple words, the two teams split up, neither certain they would ever see the other again.

**S.O.S.**

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

Cross gave Crowley a small nod from his place near one of the wooden huts, the vampire hiding in the shadows across the plaza. The less experienced Exorcist nodded back and took a swig from his flask, discarding the empty container and activating his Innocence. He was gone in a flash, slicing through a house and destroying the Akuma inside. The monster shrieked as it exploded, alerting the other sleeping Akuma of the unwanted presence. Cross ran from his hiding spot, drawing his gun and firing at an Akuma that burst from a nearby house, killing the creature instantly.

The two Exorcists fought swiftly and easily, dispatching Akuma left and right for several minutes before Cross missed a shot, the signal for Chomesuke to make her move.

The golden altered Akuma erupted from her hiding place behind several crates, flying into the air and firing off an attack into the sky, the signal for Tiki and Rabi to move out. Once her part was done, she flew back down to her master, helping in the battle.

--

Rabi looked up at the flash of an Akuma attack and nodded to Tiki, the Noah raising a hand and summoning the doorway into the Ark. They didn't waste a second entering the door and slamming it shut behind them.

This time, the redhead avoided getting sick much to his relief, and the stepped out into the most beautiful, quiet place they had ever seen. Tiki was unfazed by the sight of the white stone pathways, elegant building carved from stone and the healthy trees and shrubs that lined the road they had stepped onto. Rabi stared in shock at the surrounding area, letting his gaze drift to the clear blue sky above them. "Wha…is this the Ark?" Tiki nodded, dismissing the doorway and shifting his top hat into a position where he could see. "It's so…"

"Beautiful?" Tiki interjected, smiling a bit when his lover nodded almost numbly, his emerald eye wide in shock and awe. His smile fell as he said softly, starting forward, a Tease appearing in his palm, "Let's get going. We don't have much time before the Ark starts downloading."

Rabi blinked, than nodded, remembering the few details Tiki had told him during their wait for Chomesuke's signal. Apparently, the Ark was incomplete and was downloading the original version so it would be fully functional, but that also meant that the landscapes they were looking at now would get destroyed.

They started to run, determined to reach their destination before the Ark began downloading their currently location. Rabi looked up at Tiki and asked as they turned a corner, the older male holding onto his top hat to keep it from flying away, "Where's this door we're supposed to find?" The man pointed ahead, the Tease shifting to sit on his finger before flying ahead.

A door much like the one they had entered in rested at the end of the road, placing against one of the large white buildings and standing out against the clean surface. The redhead nodded, the pair picking up speed. Tiki ran ahead of Rabi as he dug into his pocket, digging out a plain looking key and skidded to a stop before the giant door, sliding the key into the lock and turning.

He yanked the door open and Rabi ran in without a moment's hesitation, Tiki at his heels and slamming the door behind them.

--

"Crowley! Are you alright?" Chomesuke asked worriedly as Crowley picked himself up from the rubble of a building. He nodded to her, running back into battle with a roar. Cross wasn't even breaking a sweat as he fired one shot after another at the Akuma, not even looking like he was even trying. He pulled the cigarette from his mouth and exhaled, moving one foot back and turning slightly to avoid getting hit by an Akuma's melee attack. He retaliated by simply putting the barrel of his gun against its chest and firing.

He heard Crowley land behind him and asked boredly, "Tired yet, rookie?" He heard Crowley scoff and smirked. "Good." The two moved away from each other to resume the fight.

The Earl watched from above them, seeming to get more and more irritated as he watched his Akuma (his Level THREE Akuma) getting destroyed with such ease. He, of course, knew the cause for this, and it happened to be Cross Marian. He grabbed Relo, startling the umbrella, and opened it, jumping and letting the umbrella support his massive weight. Relo, huffing and puffing a bit, didn't complain.

The Akuma suddenly ceased their attack and backed away from Cross, Chomesuke and Crowley. The three moved closer together, the Altered Akuma whimpering and reverting to human form as she buried her face in her hands and trembled. Crowley gave her a shocked look and asked nervously, "Chomesuke! Are you…"

"L-Lord Millennium…he's…g-g-g-giving…us o-orders…!" She gasped out, sinking to her knees and trying to wave Crowley away. "I-I'll be okay…" She gave him a weak smile, her eyes black. "Please…hurry…leave…"

"General Cross!" A merry voice said suddenly from the air, both Exorcists looking up. The Earl drifting to the ground before them, closing Relo and tucking it away as he grinned maliciously at them. "So good to see you again! –heart-"

The man just glared, discarding his cigarette and withdrawing a new one. "Millennium Earl." He said finally, single brown eye cold.

--

The room they entered was cold and dimly lit, a line of flickering candles being the only source of light in the entire room. The candles, striped and pointed, hung over a long dining table made of some sort of dark wood, a white cloth making it appear divided down the middle. There were only four chairs, two at the far end and two at the end closest to the two uninvited guests. The candles toward the other end were unlit, making it hard to see anything but the faint outline of a pair of high-backed decorative chairs. A door similar to the one they had entered from sat at the far end of the room, wall-mounted sconces lit on either side of it.

Rabi frowned and he could feel the nervousness practically rolling off of him. Tiki, obviously, could as well, as he grabbed the boy's shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze before taking a step forward.

The slow, careful step was louder than expected against the checker-printed tile floor, the sound of the footstep echoing in the quiet room. As soon as the sound had finished echoing, several more candles lit one right after the other in a circle around the table, illuminating the rest of the room.

Rhodes sat at the end of the table, smiling coyly at the two as she waving a large lollipop in their direction before motioning to the empty seats near the two. Skin, the hulk of a Noah, sat at her side, a massive amount of desserts before him. "Tiki," She said, not a hint of venom in her voice. "Rabi," Again, not even the slightest hint of anger touched her voice. "Sit down. Let's have a nice little talk, okay?"

Rabi looked at Tiki, the man frowning at her for a moment before slowly taking a seat and removing his top hat, setting it on the table near his left hand, Rabi sitting to Tiki's right and watching the two Noah nervously. Rhodes smiled and stood on the table, skipping forward and stopping in the middle of the table, snapping her fingers. "Eat up! You two _have _to be hungry after such a long journey."

Food appeared before the two, though neither touched the very tempting meal, though Rhodes didn't seem to mind, as she continued talking, sitting and studying the two. "You two look so nice and cozy together, hm?" She turned her attention to Rabi. "And where, exactly, is my Allen?"

"…London." Rabi replied coldly, watching her with a narrowed eye. Her smirk widened into a feral grin and she lay down on her stomach, kicking her legs as she stared at the redhead for a long while.

"Hmm…Tiki." She grinned at the man, who remained passive. "I guess he's kind of cute. But not as cute as my Allen." She stood, putting her hands behind her back.

The man gave her a weary smile. "And you were mad at me for loving an Exorcist? You're just as bad." She shrugged, jumping off of the table and circling the table to stand near Rabi. She giggled when Tiki tugged the redhead closer to him and further from Rhodes.

"Oh, Tiki, you're so paranoid." She said with a sigh of faked sadness. "I was just looking." She smiled at Rabi and the redhead felt sick. The smile sent a shiver down his spine, the look telling him that she knew more then she was letting on. He turned his attention to Skin, hoping to distract himself.

_Wake up._

Rabi's eye widened and he glanced at Rhodes from the corner of his eye, swallowing hard. She just smirked at him and resumed talking to Tiki as if she had forgiven him for everything he had ever done, the man cautious with his answers. _That voice…that was Lavi…_

He swallowed hard, but said nothing about it, instead settling to just shift and grab a fork, poking at the meal before him. He heard Rhode's chuckle and say, her voice making Rabi freeze, "Well, enough talk…" As she spoke, Skin stood from his seat, glaring at Tiki for a moment before lunging. Both Exorcist and Noah moved away just as the table exploded into splinters, the hulk of a man attacking Tiki with more speed then the redhead had predicted. He started toward Tiki, drawing his Anti-Akuma weapon, but froze when Rhodes appeared in front of him, her golden eyes cold and smirk just as cold. "Don't worry about him. Play with me, little rabbit."

He grit his teeth as his gaze flickered to Tiki, the man busy dodging and attacking Skin with a look of sorrow on his face. It was an expression Rabi wasn't meant to see, and the redhead felt guilty, but shook it off, glaring at Rhodes and lunging with a yell.

--

"…And that's the situation." Allen finished his explanation to Bak, the leader of the China branch of the Black Order nodding slowly in understanding. The Exorcists, battered, bruised and in need of proper medical attention, had arrived at the door of the Chinese Black Order around midnight the night before, and all Bak knew at the time was that a Noah had betrayed the Earl, they needed to stop the Ark and that Rinali was encased in crystal after apparently using the majority of her energy to wipe out the Akuma in London. He had cried at the last one, but he had been forced to recover by Fou's fist and was currently nursing a head injury, a head ache, a runny nose and a massive amount of confusion.

"So…" The blonde spoke slowly, careful not to look in Rinali's direction for fear of passing out from sorrow. "In short, you need access to the portal that you're pretty certain will take you to Edo. Right?" Allen nodded. He sighed, turning to his band of Exorcists and commanding in Chinese, "Let them through!" The Exorcists saluted and did as their boss ordered, pushing the door open and bowing as the English Exorcists ran inside. Kanda glared back at the crystallized Rinali, but said nothing as he thought of Rabi alone with a Noah and Crowley in the heart of enemy territory.

Allen smiled at Bak, the blonde returning the smile softly. "Well, we'll be back soon, okay?" The man nodded, watching as Allen, the Crown Clown, led his troop of bandaged soldiers consisting of Kanda and Miranda.

"Wait." The group paused, turning back to look at Bak. The man swallowed hard, clutching his fists by his side. Fou moved closer to him, nodding a bit and holding something out to him. He gave her a grateful smile, than ran to Allen. He looked down at the boy for a moment before saying, his voice shaking slightly, though his expression was determined, "I…" He swallowed, looking at the object in his hand. He looked away, blushing a bit and letting his hand drop to his side. "Good luck." Allen blinked at him, and then smiled before turning and disappearing through the portal, Kanda and Miranda at his heels. Fou glared at Bak as the man turned away and walked back toward the entrance to the training hall, his gaze downcast.

"Stupid, Bak!" She yelled, throwing a rock at his head. He glared back at her, rubbing where the rock had hit him and sighed, looking at the object in his palm. "You like him, and you worked so hard on that stupid little trinket, and you're letting him go off to battle without even giving it to him?!"

He gave her weary smile, stopping her in her tracks with the simple look. "Yeah. Pretty dumb, huh? I guess even awesome people like me have problems admitting their feelings. But, Fou. Do you really think that even if I gave him his present that it would help him at all? No. Of course it wouldn't. After all," He tucked the palm-sized object into his jacket and left, leaving Fou to stare after the man in shock. "What good is a broken hearted, useless man to him, the Destroyer of Time?"

"Bak…" Fou's gaze saddened as she watched him leave.

--

Tiki narrowly avoided one of Skin's fists, the much larger man swinging at the runaway Noah with speed that seemed impossible for such a large figure. The smaller, more agile, male ducked an attack and summoned a Tease, lunging forward and trusting his hand through Skin's chest. The larger Noah wasn't a match for Tiki's ability, his own paling in comparison to Tiki's painful and brutal killing method. Tiki smiled, feeling a rush of adrenaline as he let himself go, let himself enjoy the thrill of the kill once more.

He imagined that a drug addict felt the same way after having a hit after so long of being on the wagon, and that simple taste of death was all it took. Drunk on adrenaline, he withdrew his hand; the Tease planted; and went on the offensive, grinning as he fought with renewed ferocity.

Meanwhile, Rabi, unlike his lover, was having trouble avoiding Rhode's attacks and little luck hitting her. He had managed a cheap shot once, but repeated attempts were met with failure. He knocked aside a candle as it flew at him, his eye growing wide when he was met by an energy blast from Rhodes, who grinned at him. "Poor little rabbit. Did I hurt you?" Her expression turned dark as she raised a hand, encasing the redhead in a box of crystallized energy.

"Hey!" He glared at her, standing and swinging his hammer at the side of it. He stared at the wall in shock when it didn't even leave a scratch on the crystal-like surface. "W-what…?" He looked at her in shock, the girl raising a slender hand once more and holding her palm toward him.

"I said, Mr. Rabbit," Darkness gathered in her palm steadily. "'Play with me.' This is the game: You live, you win. You die, you lose. Game start!"

Rabi cried out when he was hit by the energy from her palm, but he was surprised when he didn't feel any pain. Opening his eye, he blinked and looked around, shocked. He was no longer in the dining room or even the crystal-like box, but a room that he had visited once before.

The tilted floor, black and white, left him off balance, and the mirror he had broken was intact and perfect, his shocked reflection staring back at him. The door rested on the wall furthest from him to his left. The only difference was that a single light hung overhead, flickering every now and then.

"What…? This room again…?" He asked the air, not expecting an answer. He eyed the mirror wearily as he made his way toward the door, not exactly up for another conversation with his other self. He grabbed the handle and pulled, blinking when he stepped into the hall of the Black Order, in front of the cafeteria. "O…kay…"

"Welcome, Mr. Rabbit." He whirled around to face Rhodes, reaching for his Innocence and freezing when his hand grabbed nothing but air. Rhodes grinned at him and stepped closer to him, her hand clasped behind her back as she neared him. "I hope you enjoy the game, because, right now, your friends are playing in it too." A scream came from the cafeteria, and Rabi bolted past her, ignoring her laughter as he threw open the double doors and stared in horror.

Everyone, Exorcist and Finder alike, were dead, innards ripped out of them and strung about the room like birthday streamers. The room was destroyed, not a single piece of furniture left in tact. Jerry was slumped over the counter, a fist-sized hole in his chest and back; the science department was hardly recognizable; Komui was crushed under what looked to be part of a Komurin robot and the others had been slaughtered.

His hands flew up to his mouth as he tried to keep his lunch down and failed, doubling over and hurling. Tears blurred his vision as he gasped out, hearing more screams from down the hall, "No…no…no…!" Staggering, he ran toward the screaming, praying he wasn't too late.

The training hall's walls were covered in blood, not a single inch of the original wall seen under the coat of crimson life. Crowley and Miranda lay in the middle of the room, the vampire's head laying several feet away and the woman slit open like a surgery abandoned. Allen fought an unseen opponent nearby, his human arm gone and face splattered with blood.

Rabi ran forward to help his friend, but the moment of hesitation cost the white haired boy his life. The redhead cried out horror as a fist exploded out of Allen's back, the boy's heart crushed in the attacker's palm. The arm withdrew, Allen slumping to the floor with a thud, the noise almost unheard past Rabi's pounding heart. "A…Allen…" The attacker, shrouded by shadows, shifted, then stepped forward into the light.

The boy slowly raised his gaze from Allen's lifeless body to the newcomer, his eye widening in horror. His mirror image stared back at him, blood splatters staining his face and clothing, his hands painted crimson. His double smiled at him like a child to their parent and said sweetly, "Hello, me. Isn't it beautiful today?"

Rabi swallowed hard, clutching his fists at his side. Blinking away tears, he lunged forward with a yell, rearing back his fist to strike Lavi. The Noah grinned and dodged, sliding behind the boy and wrapping his hand around the back of Rabi's neck and running forward. Rabi cried out when he hit the wall, struggling to free himself as the monster in his form held him there with a single hand, the other rubbing between the boy's shoulder blades.

"What's wrong, Rabi?" Lavi asked mockingly, bringing his face close to Rabi's ear and smirking. "You love fighting so much…what's wrong with beating the enemy?" The redhead shivered when he felt his double lick his ear, leaving a cold trail in its wake. "Well? Oh. That's right. You still think you're an Exorcist." The Noah laughed harshly. "Then let's see…an Exorcist…kills the Noah, correct? Would it make you happy if I took on your role, Exorcist?"

"RABI!" The Exorcist froze, his heart nearly stopping when Tiki's voice rang out. He tried to speak, tried to think, but the only thing that could come out of his mouth was a small whimper and a sob. He heard hurried footfalls, Tiki's shout of anger, and then silence.

Lavi released the boy and laughed, Rabi whirling around. Tiki was crumpled on the floor at his feet, the head of the boy's Innocence inside Tiki's chest, Lavi holding the handle on the weapon with a malicious grin on his face. Rabi stared for a moment, stunned, than lunged forward, closing the distance between himself and Lavi quickly, but not quick enough.

Just as the Exorcist tackled him and before his fingers left the Innocence, Lavi said loudly, "Grow!" A sickening crack and it was over. Rabi released his Noah half, turning against his will. The world spun and Rabi felt his whole world crumble and he sunk to the ground in numb shock, tears spilling down his cheek as he stared at the ground. He only vaguely heard Lavi sit next to him, but couldn't seem to figure out how to react.

"Tiki…Tiki…" Rabi finally choked out, slowly lifting his hands and hiding his face in his palms as he screamed. His scream faded to quiet whimpers and shuddering sobs, and he didn't even feel it in when Noah half touched his head.

Lavi smiled and hugged his broken half close, the Exorcist going limp and silent the moment he was embraced. "And now…let your Bookman title take over...and once the deed is done, your soul will be no more, and only I will remain…"

--

Tiki looked up sharply when he heard Rabi scream, phasing through Skin to see what was happening. Rhodes sat on one of the remaining chairs, a smile on her face as she watched a show only she could see. Rabi sat with his face in his hands, and he didn't react when Tiki yelled for him. The girl gave him a bright smile. "Sorry, Tiki. I think I broke him."

He stared at her in horror, his gaze flickering over to Rabi's hunched over form, the boy now only whispering and mumbling to himself. He tensed when the boy slowly stood, his arms falling to his sides limply. Rhodes dismissed the cage and laughed happily as the boy grabbed his Innocence and slowly looked up, his single green eyes empty. "Yay! Looks like your little Rabbit's becoming what he was meant to be!"

Tiki started forward. "Rabi…" He jumped back when the boy swung his Innocence, the hammer crashing into the floor where the man had once been.

Rabi glared hard at the shocked man and said coldly, raising his Innocence once more, "Tiki Mikk…rest in peace." He lunged, Tiki's eyes widening in horror.

-Owari

**A/N –** Phew. Another long one, hm? Hopefully it was good, and I hope it lived up to everyone's standards! Otherwise I'll be sad.

Um, not much else to say other then stay tuned for the next chapter!!


	16. Acceptance

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN D

**Disclaimer:** I DON'T OWN D.GRAY-MAN!!

**Summary:** _Sequel to S.O.S. _With Rabi being controlled by his Bookman side, Tiki is given two options: fight the one human he loves that he hasn't destroyed, or flee and leave Rabi to Rhodes. Meanwhile, Cross and Crowley begin a battle with the Earl that may cost them their lives. TikiRabi

**A/N –** Okay, I knows it's been a little while since I last updated, but I have an actual reason this time (including another bout of writer's block): No internet. I lost internet for a while there and didn't have access to one. Sadly, it's not a lie or a not-so-creative excuse for not posting, but the truth. As such, I've also fallen behind in the manga of D.Gray-Man. –sniffle- Anyway, I'm sure some of you wondered what happened to Cross and Crowley and, truthfully, I actually forgot about them.

Sorry!

Anyway, here's the next chapter for your enjoyment and I'm sorry the summary sucked as well. There wasn't any way to write it without giving away spoilers for the story. Oo

**Acceptance**

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

"Rabi!" Tiki yelled, dodging the redhead's swift attacks as well as Skin's. He knew the Noah wouldn't be much of a problem soon, but it was getting troublesome and his hope was draining. No matter what he said, Rabi wouldn't respond, only attack and send more and more seals at him that the Noah didn't even know Rabi had. The Heaven Seal, he realized after getting hit by it once, was a very painful one, and not one he wanted to get hit by again.

He yelped as he flung aside by Rabi's hammer, the man crashing to the ground and slamming into a wall. He groaned, slowly getting to his knees as a shadow fell over him. He heard Skin collapse nearby, probably from the Tease that Tiki had implanted in him, but that wasn't his concern at the moment. He looked up at Rabi's cold green eye as the redhead stood over him, hammer held tightly in both hands. "Rabi…" Tiki choked, coughing from pain and settling dust. "Listen to me! Don't do this…Bunny-chan…"

"Silence, Noah." Rabi said quietly, raising his hammer above his head. Tiki felt like crying. His lover, the sweet happy boy that had broken him down with his smile alone, was gone. He dove through the boy, jumping away when Rabi swung at him again. He could hear Rhodes laughing even as she cried for Skin, the girl's laughter ringing throughout the room as she watched Rabi attack Tiki while the man tried to verbally break him out of whatever had consumed him.

--

Cross aimed his gun at the Earl, leaving the Akuma to Crowley and Chomesuke. The battle had started after a rude comment from Cross about the Earl's size, and had been raging for nearly ten minutes with no end in sight. Crowley was doing well for a fairly new Exorcist, but that didn't help Cross in fighting the Earl.

The Earl laughed and lunged at Cross, the man not moving an inch except to cock the hammer of his gun and shift his aim slightly to the demon's head. If he hit, the fight would be over. If he missed, the fight would be over. He was a gambling man and those odds, whether they were tipped in his favor or not, were his kind of gamble.

Rabi stared at the ground numbly, tears still falling even as his sobs quieted to nothing but uneven breaths. Lavi was laughing over him now, his voice mocking as he said around bouts of laughter, "Poor Rabi! So sad and alone now that Tiki's gone. Such a pity, though. I'm sure you would have loved to have at least screwed him before he died. Would you have liked that better…" He smirked. "Bunny-chan?"

Lavi was sent flying when Rabi whirled up and around, punching his Noah half in the face as he yelled, no longer sad, but furious, "Shut up!" The Noah groaned, picking himself up off the floor and rubbing his bruised face as he stared curiously at his human half, the boy's chest heaving and emerald eye narrowed in anger as he wiped away his tears and growled, "This is just a dream. An illusion created by you and Rhodes. I know that now."

"Oh? Do you?" Lavi inquired, frowning at Rabi,

"Yeah." Rabi sucked in a deep breath and walked to the remains of the Tiki he prayed really was just a dream and grabbed the handle of his Innocence, straightening and pointing it at Lavi, who now looked a bit nervous. "Because the real Tiki wouldn't have done something so stupid. Running into a hammer is waaaaaaaaay too much like Allen or Crowley. He's a blockhead, but not that much of one."

Slowly, he felt his confidence building and was beginning to think that maybe, even in a world created by his enemies, he could actually have power over himself. He grinned at Lavi and said confidently, reaching up and removing the bandages over his Noah eye, "I'm not running anymore. From now on, Lavi, you're not gonna control me. I'm an Exorcist, and I'll always be an Exorcist, and now…you're gonna be what you were supposed to be: a shadow!"

He lunged, swinging his hammer and smashing the stunned Lavi into the far wall, a grin on his face. It felt good to be himself again, and now that he knew it was a dream, he was free to finally do what he needed to.

Tiki blinked when Rabi suddenly froze in mid-swing, life flickering back into his eye for a moment. _Rabi…! He's fighting it! _He smiled in relief, but didn't approach as he knew that the battle wasn't over. When the redhead resumed fighting, he could only hope that the real Rabi would break free somehow and that the one-sided battle wouldn't become an all-out war.

Rhodes scowled. _The rabbit's stronger than I thought he was…time to see just how strong…_She smirked and focused, ready to enjoy the next event in her private show staring the rebellious Rabi.

Rabi let out a breath of relief as he straightened. His Noah side had vanished, though he wasn't sure for how long as Lavi tended to be annoying and didn't ever seem to just give up. He sighed and looked around, carefully searching for something out of place other then body parts and blood. He grimaced and covered his mouth, leaving the room quickly. _Even if this is fake…I feel so sick just looking at it…Rhodes is SO going to pay for the mental trauma I'm going through._ He thought weakly, slamming the doors behind him and staring down the empty hall way with a distant look on his face.

Even though he had survived one part of the "dream" he had been trapped in, didn't mean the rest of it would be so easy. He didn't really like to describe it as 'easy' because it wasn't, but it was, more than likely, the easiest of the future challenges Rhodes was going to put him through.

A flicker of movement down the hall to his right caught him off guard, the redhead unused to seeing out of his now uncovered, though still creepy, gold and black eye. He tightened his grip on his Innocence and raced after the shadow, which seemed to stay just out of reach and unseen as it kept ducking around corners.

Finally, he cornered it in the foyer of the Black Order, the shadowy shape near the front doors with a hand out stretched as if to grab the handle. With fluid movements, Rabi thrust his hammer forward and yelled, "Grow!" It slammed into the wall beside the door and the figure, who froze. "C'mon, Rhodes." He said cockily, watching the figure like a hawk as he waited for it to attack. "You've been trying to kill me for the past, like, three months and now you're running away?" He retracted his Innocence when the figure started to turn around, and it was then that the lights brightened, temporarily blinding Rabi.

He blinked away the spots that danced before his eyes and stared in shock at the, injured man holding his arm tightly as blood stained his white gloves. Rabi, even though he knew it was just an illusion, ran to Tiki's side, catching him before he could hit the ground. "Tiki!" The man rested his cheek against the redhead's chest and sighed softly, wincing when Rabi's fingers brushed an injury.

"Bunny-chan…" Tiki smiled sadly and grabbed onto the redhead's arm as they both sunk to a seated position on the floor. "Sorry, Bunny-chan…I…I couldn't…" Rabi chuckled.

_A dream. A fake. That's what he is. I shouldn't believe it's real, because it's not. Tiki's safe, alive and uninjured, just like everyone else. _He pet the fake Tiki's hair gently as he said softly, "Tiki-chan…you're not real. None of this—" His words died in his throat when he felt a frightening sensation of having something icy pass through his chest. The feeling gripped his heart as the fake Tiki lifted his head and smiled wickedly and leaned close.

"A dream, Bunny-chan?" He kissed the redhead deeply, shoving his tongue into the smaller male's mouth as he grabbed Rabi's throat with his free hand and pushed him to the floor. Rabi choked and struggled, pushing against the fake to try and escape. The kiss was broken, the fake Tiki grinning down at Rabi as the redhead struggled and gasped for breath as his throat was squeezed. "Dear little Bookman," Rabi vaguely heard dragging footsteps from the shadows around them, but couldn't look, too busy tugging at the fake's hand and trying to breath. "It's not a dream…"

He managed to pry Tiki's hand from his throat and tried to move away from the hand that held his heart firmly, but gently. Tiki moved with him, the redhead stopping only when his head and shoulders hit someone's legs. Slowly, he looked up and paled, eyes widening in horror. The mutilated bodies of his friends stood around them, flesh flaking and blood dripping onto the floor in dark pools.

The people - no, monsters - dropped around them, grabbing at Rabi as they bit and clawed at him, Tiki holding him still and smirking as Rabi struggled and yelled, tears in the boy's eyes. _It's just a dream! A dream! It's not real…!_ He tried to reason with himself, but reason became lost in shear terror as he finally wiggled away and fled, shoving Exorcists and Finders out of the way as he searched for some way out. He tugged and yanked on the door to the hall, but only succeeded in pulling a muscle as it seemed to be locked.

He yelped as he was grabbed, and cried out in pain when someone bit into his arm and ripped away a good chunk of his flesh. He kicked his attacker away, clutching his arm and pressing his back against the doors, staring at the hoards of monsters that crowded around him, the smell of fresh blood seeming to send them into frenzy. _Think, Rabi. Think! Rhodes has to be one of them! If I can get rid of her, then maybe this nightmare will end…but…but who is she?!_ He searched the crowd, freezing when his gaze met the fake Tiki's, the man smirking from across the room. _Of course…_

Swallowing hard, he tightened his grip on his Innocence and charged, shoving his way through the crowd as he yelled, grabbing the hammer handle in both hands and holding it like one would a sword, "Odzuchi Kodzuchi! _Shin, shin, shin_!" The handle extended and sliced through the crowd with ease to reach its target. He closed his eyes when he heard the cross hit, followed by Rhodes's scream of rage and pain.

Rabi froze once more in mid-attack, Tiki standing several feet away and holding his arm tenderly. He had let down his guard once and the minor slip-up cost him a tear in his expensive suit and a shallow, but painful, cut. He glanced over when he heard Rhodes gasp and stared in shock at the cross that protruded from her chest, a thin stream of blood dripping down the black metal and falling to the floor.

She smirked slowly and said playfully, watching Tiki coldly as she lifted her hand and touched the exit wound and the base of the cross, "Does he…really think I'll die this easily…?" Both Noah turned their attention to Rabi when the redhead turned the hammer around and slammed the cross into the ground, a glowing seal appearing under and around him.

He smirked at Rhodes and said weakly, as if mentally drained, "You…made me kill him there…you hurt my friends…you used me to…attack Tiki…you wanna make my life hell?" Tiki stared in shock as flames licked at the edge of the seal, the temperature rising drastically. The Exorcist glared at Rhodes as he yelled, "Than you're coming with me, you bitch! _Hi Ban_!!"

A serpent of flames burst from under Rabi and roared as it lunged at Rhodes, the girl's eyes widening as she was struck. Tiki gaped at the massive monster of flames as it devoured Rhodes, charring her until nothing remained, not even bones, but her chilling laugh as she faded made Tiki shudder. Then he realized something that made his heart nearly stop. He took a step forward, but hesitated when the flames of Innocence nearly hit him. He could see Rabi in the midst of the roaring flames, the redhead taking the damage from the hellfire serpent that wrecked havoc on the room and Skin's motionless body.

"Rabi! Rabi!!" Tiki swallowed hard, watching as Rabi sunk to the ground, the heat finally taking its toll on him. With a shuddering breath of fear, Tiki tossed his top hat aside and ran forward, dodging the wild and out of control Seal as he ran toward the boy. He cried out in pain when his arm was grazed, the fire burning more than he had thought, but a little pain was nothing.

Rabi's gaze blurry and out of focus, could barely make out the figure of Tiki braving the Innocence created flames and gasped out, releasing his grip on his Hammer to dismiss the seal, "T-tiki…" The man, as the flames faded to embers, dropped to a kneel beside Rabi, lifting the boy carefully and cradling him close. The boy stared tiredly at the burnt sleeve of Tiki's suit and mumbled with a weak grin, "I…owe you a new suit, eh?"

The man chuckled and rested his head against Rabi's as he breathed, closing his eyes and hugged the boy close, tears brimming his eyes and rolling down his cheeks, leaving glistening trails in their wake, "Stupid Bunny-chan…why…why didn't you stop the seal?"

Rabi's expression saddened as he reached up and touched Tiki's cheek, the man's face flushed from exhaustion. He stared at the tears that continued to fall as he replied, "I dunno…when I came to everything was on fire…" He chuckled at the shocked expression the Noah's face and smiled. "I'm telling the truth." With a groan, he sat up, leaning against Tiki's chest as he sighed, smiling as he felt the man wrap his arms around him and bury his face in the boy's crimson hair.

Tiki sniffled a bit, petting Rabi's hair as he whispered, crying softly into the boy's hair, "I thought I had lost you…" He shuddered as he fought the urge to start sobbing. It wouldn't be manly for him to start crying, especially since Rabi was alive and well. A little smoky-smelling, a little dinged up and his voice was a little rough from smoke inhalation, but he was breathing and that was all that mattered.

Rabi blinked up at him and asked curiously, "Tiki-chan? Are you…crying?" He felt horrible now. Before it was just the physical and mental pain, but now that he had worried Tiki enough to make the man, who probably wouldn't even shed a tear if his own mother died, cry. He smiled sadly when he felt Tiki shake his head, but his quiet sobs told him otherwise. Carefully, Rabi hugged him back as he whispered, "I'm so sorry…please don't cry…it's not normal, you know? Plus," he sniffled. "If you keep crying, I'm gonna feel like a horrible person and start crying too. And then there's therapy, medication, alcohol. You know. All the things that mix about as well as Allen and Kanda."

The man chuckled, nodding. The last thing they needed was to both start bawling like babies. He pulled away, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand as he stood, helping Rabi to his feet and grabbing the boy's Innocence and handing it over. The redhead tucked the hammer into his leg holster and grabbed Tiki's hand. The man smiled softly and gave the boy a quick kiss on the lips before whispering, "Let's finish our mission, Bunny-chan…"

As they ran toward the Noah door, a thought struck Rabi and he skidded to a stop, frowning a bit in thought. The Noah paused and looked back at his lover, blinking in confusion when the boy reached up with his free hand and gripped the edge of the bandages and pulled them away, his eyes closed. "Rabi…?"

The boy opened his eyes and Tiki was shocked to see that the once creepy and just plain disturbing eye had been replaced by a normal one that was as gold as the sun and a shockingly beautiful contrast to the boy's green one. The redhead grinned. "I'm tired of running. If I can't accept it, then Lavi's gonna get the better of me someday, so for now…I'm just me. Noah blood and all." Tiki smiled back and nodded, kissing the redhead's cheek reassuringly before the two helped each other through the doorway.

Owari

**A/N –** Sorry it was so crappy! –sniffle- It was two in the morning when I wrote it, and I was getting lost because I hadn't read that part of the manga in, like, forever so I was fuzzy on the details because I was too lazy and tired to read it again. Okay, so it is totally my fault.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it, and, yes, Cross and Crowley will get a little more air time next chapter, and Allen and the others should enter soon. Until next time! Read and Review! I like reviews.


	17. Lullaby

* * *

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN D

**DISCLAIMER: **I DON'T OWN D.GRAY-MAN OR ITS CHARACTERS!!

**Summary: **_Sequel to Acceptance_. Cross and Crowley have engaged the enemy head on and just when things seem to be going bad fast, Allen and the others arrive and force the Earl to retreat! However, after getting to the Ark, the Ark starts to dissolve and when it comes down to it, can Allen and Rabi save the day when it's up to them to save the Ark and their friends? TikiRabi

**A/N –** Phew. I'm glad that the last chapter went over well. Yes, I forgot about Cross again. Sorry!! I'm a forgetful fangirl…please forgive me, my dear beloved readers! If it makes you feel better, I've finally choked out a list of ideas so I have something to go by and hopefully the story will go by faster and smoother for at least a little while. However, when I reach the end of the currently released manga, I'll have to wing it and see where the road takes me.

Oh well.

Anyway, please enjoy, and I apologize ahead of time for the quick pace of these last few chapters.

Enjoy!

**Lullaby**

_By:_

_-Minosuke Ichigo-_

A gunshot echoed throughout the countryside as Cross fired his Innocence, jumping back and away as the Earl's sword crashed into the ground where he had been standing a second ago. He moved backwards swiftly and surely, easily avoiding the attacks the Earl unleashed upon him, a smirk playing across his lips as he discarded his finished cigarette and took aim once more.

Crowley, meanwhile, was tiring. No matter how many Akuma he killed, more took their place and he was once more surrounded by countless Akuma that attacked from all sides and laughed and jeered at him. He took a step back, breathing heavily as he tried to think of a way to take out more than one at a time, but his mind was drawing a blank. The only thing he could do was attack and hope for the best, but the best seemed to be far from what he had hoped.

He cried out when he was struck from behind by a Level Two and knocked several feet into the air, landing only when a second kicked him into the ground, shattering rock and sending dust and dirt everywhere upon impact. He groaned, slowly staggering to his feet and touching a head wound, blood flowing from the gash and staining half his face crimson.

Several Akuma lunged at him, but suddenly exploded, a white blur rushing past him, followed by a familiar yell as hideous creatures appeared and rushed the Akuma, slicing through them easily. He looked up when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and his gaze met the concerned one of Miranda, who smiled weakly and focused on her Innocence, using it to heal her team mates temporarily. "Miranda…" The woman closed her eyes, concentrating.

"Its okay, Crowley-sama…" She whispered to the vampire as he stood and checked himself over. "Please don't accumulate too many injuries…" She added nervously, giving him a worried look. "I…I can't revive the dead…" He nodded and ran off to defend her from any Akuma attacks.

Cross smirked when he felt a familiar presence and said coolly, blocking the Earl's attack with the barrel of his gun, twisting the weapon and firing a round at the demon's head, "About time you arrived, stupid apprentice!" Allen half-glared at his master as he lunged at the Earl with a yell.

The Earl laughed as he jumped back and onto his sword, the massive weapon hovering in the air. "Yare, yare. So the white clown lives? –heart-" He chuckled at the dirty look Allen gave him, the teen's body practically shaking with adrenaline as he waited for an opportunity to attack. Without warning or even an explanation, the Earl vanished into a puff of lavender smoke, leaving the Akuma to handle the Exorcists.

Allen growled and lunged into a group of Akuma, Cross staying close to him and watching his back as the Exorcists continued their assault on the Akuma hoards with little progress.

* * *

Rabi sighed, rubbing his right eye with the palm of his hand, still trying to get used to seeing out of that eye. He heard Tiki chuckle and felt the man ruffle his already messed hair and grimaced. "I just can't get used to this. It feels weird."

Tiki blinked. "Oh? Seeing feels weird? Yes, I find that to be the case quite often when I'm around Komui. Hearing, breathing and staying sane as well." Rabi laughed at the man's attempt at a joke and shoved him playfully, grinning brightly now. The man looked at their surroundings once more, trying to judge how close they were to the core of the Ark. Sadly, each room was beginning to look the same and he was beginning to rely on Rabi's memory to help him figure out their location. This, of course, was not comforting at all to the redhead, but his mind was currently occupied with how annoying it was to be able to see out of both eyes.

The world seemed so much bigger and brighter than before, and it was nerve-wracking. He looked up at Tiki and asked curiously, "So…how much further is it?"

The man looked around, studying the empty, tilted room carefully. "Hmm…not too far I don't think…it's been a while since I've visited the Egg." Rabi stared at his lover, his confusion evident. The Noah grimaced. "The Egg…it's what produces Akuma. If we can destroy it and stop the downloading of the Ark, than we can slow the production of Akuma enough to buy us some time in defeating the Earl." He smiled. "One step closer, ne?"

The teen nodded with a grin, moving forward hurriedly. The faster they stopped the Egg and the downloading, then the faster and smoother everything else would be. Hopefully.

* * *

Allen dropped to a seat position beside Miranda, letting a sigh of relief pass his lips. Somehow, they had managed to defeat the Akuma. It was hard, it had taken forever and a day, but at least they were able to relax for a moment. Cross leaned against a wall that hadn't been destroyed and inhaled a deep breath of cigarette smoke, exhaling through his nose and watching the younger Exorcists.

Finally, Cross checked his watch, nodding a bit to Crowley as he said loudly to catch everyone's attention, "Alright everyone. Listen up. Rabi and Tiki have infiltrated the Ark and are probably holding position near the Egg. In," He checked his watch again. "Five minutes, they'll do their end and open a door here for the rest of us to give them a hand."

Allen blinked and Kanda nearly had an aneurism. "Rabi's INSIDE THE ARK?!" The swordsman practically screamed, earning him startled yelps from his team mates who had the misfortune of being near him. He stood and grabbed the hilt of his sword, growling and glaring at Cross, who just stared at him like one would a petulant child.

"Yes. Inside the Ark." He looked at Allen, who jolted and shuddered under his master's gaze. "Does he always do that?"

The boy swallowed hard, trying to figure out which one of the two (Cross and Kanda) would kill him the fastest. Eventually, he spoke. "Only when Rabi's concerned…" He squeaked and ducked when Kanda swung his sword at the boy's head, missing by a hair. The man rolled his visible eye and looked away. Oh, he hated children.

He also hated being late, so for the Noah's sake, he hoped the two were able to keep their end of the plan on schedule.

* * *

"Where the hell are we?!" Rabi yelped, staring at the cartoon-ish clouds that hung in the water-color blue sky, a wooden cutout of the sun hanging from a string and swaying dangerously. The man blinked, watching a star fall from a string and land on the plush carpet without a sound.

"Hmm…I'm going to venture a guess and say…" He shrugged, smiling. "No clue." The redhead gaped at him in shock, trying to decide if it would be better to be killed by letting the Ark download, or if facing Cross's wrath would be a swifter end. Tiki chuckled and pointed to a door at the other end of the room and smiled, patting Rabi's head to calm him. "It's okay! That door right there leads to the Egg, which then leads to the control room. It's no problem, Bunny-chan."

They left the room and entered a dark-walled, brightly lit room with a massive, glowing egg over a control panel. It seemed to be incomplete, and pieces of it were beginning to fade. Rabi ran to the panel and stared at the controls in confusion. Never before in his life had he seen technology like that and he didn't understand the first thing about how to work it. He looked to Tiki for help, but the man was busy summoning a gate to the designated location for Cross and, hopefully, the others to enter through.

The ground rumbled and Rabi looked up at the egg, swallowing hard as he asked, "Has it…?" Tiki nodded solemnly, his dark eyes locked onto the door that had suddenly sprung from the ground as he reached out, grabbing the handle tightly.

"The downloading has already reached this room. We need to hurry." He yanked the door open, looking out at the dark Edo streets.

* * *

Cross looked back over his shoulder when a door burst from the ground and opened, Tiki standing in the doorway looking as if he had been tossed through a bon-fire, punched and smacked with a hammer a couple times, but his pretty-boy face only had some minor singe marks and he smiled tiredly at the surprised Exorcists. "Uh…hurrying would be good." Was all the Noah said before disappearing from sight as he made his way to Rabi's side to try and help him figure out the controls, but two mechanically-inept people didn't magically create a mechanical genius.

Allen was the first through and he stopped and stared up at the fading egg in shock, the others following suit, though Kanda and Cross didn't seem the least bit fazed by the sight of a massive, glowing egg. Rabi gave the group a grin as he said, pointing at the controls, "Uh…anyone know how to work this? I could, you know, randomly press buttons, but I don't think that would be such a great idea."

Cross rolled his eye and shoved the younger Exorcists out of the way as he swiftly punched in several keys, only Rabi able to keep up and memorize the motions. The egg froze in place for a moment and the man looked back at the others. "I've slowed it down. Allen." The boy stiffened. "Rabi." The redhead blinked, confused. "It's up to you."

They stared at Cross as they yelled, "Why us?! We dunno what we're doing!" Timcampy fluttered over to the far wall, opening its mouth wide and summoning a glowing portal, startling everyone nearby.

With one swift motion that not even Tiki could stop, Cross shoved both Allen and Rabi through and stopped Tiki from entering as he said calmly as he watched the portal close behind the two startled boys, "It's up to them now."

--

Rabi groaned as he sat up from his place on a hard wood floor, holding his head painfully as he looked around for Allen. "Allen-chan…?" The white haired boy was also dragging himself to his feet nearby, Timcampy floating around the pairs heads as if waiting for them to get their brains working again so they could stand up. They stood slowly, looking around the clean, sparsely furnished room, their gazes falling on the white piano that was illuminated by sunlight that flooded in through a massive window.

Rabi tensed and whirled around when he felt someone touch his back and gasped, taking a startled step back when his gaze met that of his Noah half peering at him through the window. Allen mimicked his friend's motion, seeing instead of Lavi a shadowy, intimidating figure. Both images spoke as one, their voices mingling and creating an almost echoing effect as they stepped through the window and made their way to the piano, "My room…my piano…my Timcampy…" Both held their hands out their respective viewers. "My Allen…my Rabi…"

Slowly, as if not of their own free will, Rabi and Allen moved toward the piano, the visions vanishing once they reached it. Both exchanged glances as if asking if they saw the same thing. Carefully, Rabi sunk into the pianist's seat, searching for sheet music of some kind. Upon finding none, he groaned and sighed in defeat. Tim landed in front of him, opening its mouth as a screen appeared over it. He stared reaching blankly at the strange symbols that appeared on it, unable to read it at all. "What…the hell? Are we supposed to play this thing? And what is this? There aren't any notes, just weird…" He paused, looking back at Allen as he asked curiously, noting the look of shock on the boy's face, "Allen-chan?"

Allen trembled as he began to read it aloud, his voice quivering and hands shaking at his sides.

"_And then the boy_

_Drifted off to sleep breathing heavy_

_The flames within the ash,_

_One by one welling up,_

_That beloved face_

_Thousands of dreams upon this earth_

_As your silver eyes tremble on that night_

_A shining "you" is born_

_Hundreds of millions of months and years…_

_No matter how many prayers are returned to the earth…_

_I shall continue to pray,_

"_Please, give this child love, joined hands, and a kiss."_

As the words left Allen's mouth, Rabi felt his hands twitch and begin to move on their own, the melody haunting, beautiful and frighteningly familiar to the redhead as his fingers danced across the keys. The music filled the small room and in the middle of it, he realized where he had heard the song before. _Ah…it's been…years since I heard this song…since that traveling circus man taught it to me…Mana…_

* * *

The Exorcists moved closer together as the room began to crumble, Cross focusing on trying to keep the egg from downloading. It was down to the last couple inches and it was beginning to quicken. Tiki swallowed hard and looked back at where the portal had once been, fearing for Rabi's safety. _Rabi…_

Cross frowned. "They aren't doing it right…they need to envision their hopes…their dreams…what they love." Tiki stared at the man for a moment before turning back to the fading wall and swallowed hard.

Sucking in a deep breath, he yelled at the top of his lungs, hoping that the two could hear him, "Rabi! Allen! Think of everything you long for! Everything you love! Don't let it vanish!"

* * *

Rabi's eyes widened for a moment, and both froze, a barely heard voice reaching their ears. Rabi smiled brightly as he whispered, "Tiki…" They looked back at each other and Allen resumed reading, feeling the shadowy figure at his shoulder while Rabi felt Lavi stand at his side, silent.

_Everything we want…everything we love…Well…_Rabi smiled to himself as he played, letting his eyes close as he focused on his hopes as the melody continued to flow from the piano. _First…I'll tell everyone how wonderful they are…then, I'll tell Tiki just how much I love him…for Allen-chan, there should be lots of food…Tiki will probably wind up doing the dishes, but I know he'll be happy, and I'll be sure to be there for him when he's tired or sick...We'll have a big party, and Yuu-chan will probably be late, but even if he looks angry, I'll know he's happy…Crowley and Miranda will finally admit that they like each other and we'll throw a big wedding for them should they decide to tie the knot…everyone…_

Rabi opened his eyes, tears falling down his cheeks as he and Allen yelled as one, their voices echoing throughout the room, "Ark! Don't disappear!!"

* * *

Crowley looked back at the egg and gasped, smiling as he proclaimed, catching the attention of everyone, "It's…becoming whole again!" Miranda, who was balanced at the edge of the collapsed floor, wobbled and fell with a yelp. Instead of falling into a dark abyss, she landed instead on the tiled floor as the room began to rebuild itself. Crowley helped the woman to her feet, Miranda blushing and stuttering out a thanks as she brushed wrinkles from her uniform nervously.

Tiki smiled to himself and sighed in relief, running a hand through his hair and letting it fall freely about his face as he gave Cross a weak smile. "I suppose you were right. They were able to stop it…" Tiki chuckled and cupped his hands around his mouth, knowing now that Rabi and Allen could hear him. "Bunny-chan! Allen-chan! Open a door so we can come in too!!"

A door opened beside them and Tiki was the first through, Kanda at his heels. Both Exorcists stood and turned to face their friends, Rabi grinning hugely and putting his hands behind his head, looking proud, but still as dinged up as he had been before. Cross entered the room and tilted his head to the side when Allen ran forward and swung at him, his Innocence hitting the wall as he snapped, "We could've failed, you know!"

"But you didn't, idiot apprentice." The man glowered at Allen, who hid behind Crowley quivering like a leaf as he mumbled incoherently to himself. Tiki moved forward and gathered Rabi into a tight hug, smiling softly as he was hugged back by the redhead, who grinned happily. "Well. The egg is here, therefore the plant was not downloaded, the Ark has been restored and is fully operational." The man smirked. "Time to head home, boys and girls."

Owari

**A/N – **Woo! Another chapter! Yays! I hope you guys enjoyed it, and I hope I at least caught one person off guard with Rabi's remark about Mana. Hee hee…read & review people, and I'll post more soon!

Until next time!


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